The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-07
pROGRESSIvES
Will NOMINATE
COL. ROOSEVELT
The Hughes Statement Did Not
Satisfy Them.
William Allen White Tells How
Matters Stand.
NOT A PLEASANT WORD HEARD
For the Man Sitting on the
Supreme Bench.
No Other Candidate Suggested
Amy More Acceptable.
fBY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITLEY
Copyright, 1916, by George Matthew
Adams)

fBY WILLIAM ALLEN W HlIE-)
Copyright, 1916, by George Matthew
Adams)
Chicago. June To-day has de-
veIoped one important fact in the po-
iiticaI situation. The Progressives
propose to go ahead and nominate
Roosevelt. The Hughes statement dld
not satisfy them. The Bull Moose
delegates got their badges today and
not a man behind a badge mad
pleasant word for the Hughes speech
1t lacked a fighting quality. To the
Progressfves the Hughes speech
seemed to have a kind of beyond the
Alps lies Italy ring to it. 1t was all
inst between us girls. And anyway
it is hard to get any enthusiasm from
the Bull Moose crowd which was re
ioiced when Roosevelt went down 10
St Louis and made shoots at the GER
man-American hypenates, the crowd
that yelled itself hOarse When the
colonel told the hypenates that TINS
was an election of an American preSl,
dent not German victory-it is hard
to get the Progressives over heateo
when a gentleman goes down to a 1e-
male seminary and gayly tells the girls
it is bad form to burn the nag LOT
their country, or words TO thal el-
feet. - .;o
,,red that so far as Hughes as a COM
promise is concerned he is out OF II.
No other possible candidate before the
Republican convention remotely inter
esfs the ProEressiveS. So they declueu
through the caucus Of delegation after
delegation to go to the Roosevelt nom
nation early-not later than friday-
And it will happen that whlle the he
publicans are listening TO the stuplo
harrangues of orators plaSterinS Co
NUNS upon "a man who the Bun
Moosers over in their snug little con-
vention will be nominating CORONER
Roosevelt and preparing to go 1t alone
Cheerful and Happy
That is the Progressive program
And because it is as nearly declded as
anything in politics may be declded
three days before the event, the Pro-
sressives are cheerful and happy 1t Is
the Progressive Republicans VINO are
sad They hoped to convince tnelr
fellow Republicans and seemed TO
have made small heaGway. The pro-
positi n from the regulars to let the
colonel name his man, has been MADE
and remade in the conference between
the leaders of the two parties. But
the proposition has been rejected orr
there is in the Republican list no can
didate. now-with Hughes eliminated
nv his cream puff speech-who repre-
sents the aggressive militant type OF
mind that appeals to the Progressive
The Republicans in their conferences
reDeatedlv have called attention to the
fact that the colonel cannot get the
German vote: that he will lose the pa
cifist vote; that he will lose the re-
dictionary vote.
And the Progressives patiently SIT
ting in the game have explained over
and over again that they do not care
to make up majority of the voters
of the country from unrelated groups
of voters who think apart but may be
feel together The Progressives have
explained that they wish to make up
u majority in the country of men who
think alike who when their votes are
cast will form q majority that means
one definite thing, or a minority that
means one definite thing. But to talk
of minorities makes the regular Re
publican shudder. He wants a ma
jority at all hazards whether it means
anything or not.
They Like a Fight.
The Progressives have another feel
ing about it They for ten years have
been working along lines of greatest
resistance and they like a fight. The
Republicans for a generation. since the
days of Blaine, have been seeking to
30 forward along lines of least resis-
lance. So the two types of mind I'M
derstand one another but vaguely. AND
it may be set down an item of news
that the conferences between the lead
ers, big and little. of the two parties
have failed. The old bitternesses have
not been revived. If the Republicans
-conceed many things, the coalition
may be brought about But today the
big outstanding fact of the convention
is that the conferences have failed and
that the ProgressiVes propose to put
out a third ticket.
There seems to be no doubt in Their
mind that the colonel will run on it
And what gives the Progressives cheer
is the fact that now that Hughes ha:
eliminated himself from the Progress
sive program, he also has eliminated
himself from the Republican program
For he will not run on a third ticket
He would have to get off the bench
And he will not get off the bench anC
give up a life job for the remote
chance that he will have of being
elected president with Colonel Roose
Welt running on the Progressive ticket
rallying the forces of Amercanisn
and preparedness away from the Re
publican ticket.
Cncckmate Hughes.
As the ProgressiveS see the strategy
of the situation, it is to nominate tn
colonel, to get his acceptance, ant
then. having checkmated Hughes t,
go in to win the election with tn,
pussy foot vote divided between tn,
two old parties, while the radical Pro
gressives and the advocates of stiff
foreign policy of preparedness ar,
rallying under one flag
In three cOrnered fight, the Pro
greSsives with Roosevelt at their heat
would stand as good a show of win
ming as either of the other parties
and rather Il better show. And VIVA
laundering war would do for Roose
welt in November is rather obvious
At least the proposition, being a sor
of combination of a free-for- all -figh
and a fancy steps to the tune of ION
ward Christian Soldier" and jump il
where glory waits.
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