Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-06-13
MOOSERS ARE SORE
WITH PERKINS AND
WITH THE COLONEL
Betrayed by Roosevelt, De-
serted by Perkins, They Ar
Adrift on Political Seas,
Without Leader and Money
BY RALPH SMITH.

the lODDy OF the congress nOlel lilS an
ernoon, as the delegates drifted in from
the Coliseum, where earlier i'm the day
Mr.. Associate Justice Charles Evans
Hughes had been nominated as it's presi-
Dental candidate by the Republican ma
tional convention.
The question was pertinent to the sit
uation and embarrassing to the Repuo-
licans foregathered in the Motel for
the same reason. There was not
discernible to the naked eye or to the
unmuffled ear the slightest evidence of
any sentiment for either Hughes or his
running mate, Charles Warren Fair
banks, of Indiana, who was impressed
with the stamp of the dollar mark by
John Wanamaker IN his nominating
speech
Never( so far as could he ascertatned
from old timers, has presidential nomi-
nation by either the Republicans or the
Democrats created SO little enthusiasm.
Viewed retrospectively, it is a wonder
that the Republican convention was able
to nominate a candidate at all. The
delegates were hand picked and the
cards were stacked against Theodore
Roosevelt, the only man for whom there
was any genuine enthusiasm in Chicago,
and the delegates gravitated toward
Hughes, not because of instructions or
of sentiment, but because force of cir
cumstances pointed nowhere else. Most
of the time throughout the conclave the
Coliseum seemed more like a musoleum
than a convention hall.
The feature of this historical week
of American politics is not the nomi-
nation of Hughes by the Republicans,
however. That is a big occurrence, of
- inn in
terest and Importance is the tragedy of
the Progressive party and of Theodore
Roosevelt The real, simon pure Pro-
gressives who have sworn by Roosevelt
for four years are solemn and sore to-
night They feel that they have been
doubled crossed and will be betrayed
very shortly-double crossed by their
idols, close personal and political
friends, and soon to be betrayed by their
idol himself.
The Progressives nominated Theodore
Roosevelt a stheir presidential candi-
date out of resentment and revenge
resentment against the "stalling and
iockeying" of George W. Perkins and
revenge against what they were forced
to believe to be an evidence of Roose-
velts purpose to support Hughes for
the presidency. They knew when they
did IT and before they did it that the
thing that Roosevelt most desired, next
tc the joint nomination of the Repub-
lican and Progressive convention, was
that he not be called upon to lead
third ticket and lead another revolt
against the grand old party.
Perkins was on his feet trying to ad-
dress the Progressive convention. stall
ing" for further delay and another par
ley with the Republicans. when Cover
nor Hiram Johnson. with the approval
O. Raymond Robins. swept Perkons
from the stage and nominated Roosevelt
for the Progressive candidacy in
speech of alteration which was in fact
meant to embarrass Roosevelt.
The Progressives expect Roosevelt to
decline their nomination. They look to
see him support Hughes as against
Wilson They realize that they and
their party are now in a position not
unlike that occupied by the Populists
and their party several years ago. But
they are determined that Roosevelt
alone should shoulder the responsibility
for the death of the Progressive party,
and that none of its blood shall be on
their hands.
Progressive leaders like Victor Muir
dock, Clifford Pinchot, Amos Pinchot,
Hiram Johnson, William Allen White
and Henry Allen are all heartbrokeh
over the developments. The situation
to them is tragic beyond expression.
Their IDOL is shattered. They are adrift
in the sea of American politics. They
cannot turn to Hughes and the Re-
publicans-Hughes whom they have de-
nounced as an migrate and as the candi-
date of the hyphenates, and the Re-
publicans whom they have classified as
highbinders and political crooks. Their
ONLY haven is in the folds OF the Dem
ocrat tic party and this 1t may be said,
is far from their liking.
Murdoch, Johnson and the PinchOts,
as we'll as others, realize now, and
too late, that the Progressive party
is done for and is soon to become n
memory. for they believe confidently
that Roosevelt will accept Hughes as
his candidate and decline their NOM
nation: while Perkins, who has sup
piled the sinews of war, will follow
Roosevelt Without a candidate and
without funds the Progressive party
cannot live. They know it.
Roosevelts telegram today, suggest
ing Senator Lodge as the compromise
candidate of the Republicans and Pro-
gressives is beyond understanding OF
the keenest and best informed politi
clans i'm the Republican party. The
generally accepted view is that RoOsc-
Welt misjudged the situation in Chica
go He is credited with having appre-
ciated his own weakness as a candi-
date before the Republican convention,
but he is believed to have over-esti-
mated his strength as an distractions It
in that assembly, and he certainly over
estimated his ability to further control
the IIogressives respecting the unwis-
dom of third party. Had the colo
rel Keen in Chicago. and Informed as
TO what was actually going on, he would
have known that Senator Lodge had
| not the slightest chance of nomina
ton in the Republican convention and
by the same token he would have known
! that the Progressive hold the Massachu-
sets senator as impossible.
In the light of the coloners we'll
known views respecting Americanism
some incline to the belief that he sin
! gled out Lodge knowing him to be inn
possible, because Lodges record in the
senate respecting Americas interna-
| tlonal relations afforded Roosevelt OPP
| portunity for again emphasizing that he
| holds AmeTicanism to overshadOw all
other considerations in the present cir
cllmstances.
! But the generally accepted view IF
the colonel's message is that he mis-
| Judged conditions at Chicago and still
/ believed that he could obstruct the nom-
| ination of Hughes by the Republicans
/ and that by Offering an impossible can
didate as a compromise he could pre-
cipitate deadlock that might eventual
IN wind up in a stampede for himself.