The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-02-24

claim against him.
alton and defeat at the head of a
great party would be a step up
wards in their ambition and it
would. But the party tried this
once, when Blaine and Conklln
locked horns in 1876 ana Governor
Hayes, of Ohio, was nominated
and possibly elected. He failed to
make good.
At the beginning of this year. this
condition was said to have left in
sight three national figures big
enough to dominate the situation.
namely Hughes, Roosevelt and
Root.
Is Hughes a Possibility?
MANY believe, however. that a
few weeks have made considerable
change in this horoscope. In a re-
cent letter to an inquiring friend
from a southern state who had tried
to smoke him out" Justice Hughes
stated emphatically that he did not
wish anv delegates selected for him
directly or Indirectly. All of the
favor.te son supporters grabbed
this up with glee, and announced
that the Justice was entirely outside
the pale of possibility-because they
wanted it so.
Neutral party leaders and writers
do not take it that way. While it is
now we'll established by his own acts
that Justice Hughes does not want
the party nomination. yet no act of
his has positively placed HIM beyond
accepting the nomination if the con-
vention selects him. And what
party man ever refused such a call
to ddty?
Colonel Roosevelt and Ellhu Root
may be said to be some what in the
same position as Justice Hughes. be-
cause both have requested that their
names be removed after having been
filed as candidates by their friends
in primary states.
The strength or supposed strength.
of Justice Hughes, of course, rests
considerably upon the fact that he
took no part in the party split of
1912. Leaders and laymen of both
factions all over the country have
expressed a willingness to unite
upon him.
Chances of Roosevelt or Root
Next in consideration, after JUS
tice Hughes. comes the two accept.
ed leaders of the two elements of
the republican party, viz: Roose-
welt and Root. The Colonel has the
greatest following. the progressive
wing, which polled over four million
votes in the split of 1912. Elihu
Root, by tacit consent, succeeds to
the Taft leadership of the old line
republicans. so designated by various
names. Are these factions irrecon-
cilable on either of these men?
Perhaps the masses of the party
could accept and support either.
But it is doubtful if the big party
politicians will.
Party politicians are shrewd men,
but sometimes they permit their
view Of a situation to become cloud
ed by their pruiudices for or against
men-particularly against. And
acting in the light OF that prejudice
they occasionally do things which
their training and experience should
guard against.
Great Leaders of the Parties
The two greatest political leaders
of the age are Theodore Roosevelt
and w. j. BRYAN, the one a republi.
can, the other a democrat. In all
probability neither one will ever
be chosen president. but they are
makers of presidents. they are
past masters Of the great American
game, upon which they have con-
centrated extensive natural ability
for many years.
These men are progressives, they
seek the new, the hoped for better,
attainable only after desire and
ambition to advance. They have
the courage Of their convictions,