The Washington times., 1916-04-25
THE MASSACHUSETTS, PRIMARY

Massachusetts, is holding its pri-
mary election today, under the law
that four years age was forced
through the legislature in the last
days before the tire limit expired
for selecting delegates. Then, the
law resulted in choosing split dele
cation, and the outcome was regard
ed as great victory for Roosevelt.
Today Massachusetts, seems GER
tain to repeat its performance of
four years ago; to choose delega-
ton which in part will stand for the
former President, and in part will be
unpledged; free to adopt whatever
course it may choose at the conven-
tion.
The contest has been, in the clos
ing days, one of the most remarkable
of the kind ever made in the country.
But it has been very different from
that Of four years ago. Then, Roose-
welt made whirlwind tour Of the
State, and there was a burst Of pop
ular enthusiasm for him that swept
half the delegates into his column.
This year, on the contrary, Roose-
welt has steadfastly refused to give
countenance to the effort in his be-
half, and one of his lifelong friends,
Senator Lodge, is on the "unin-
structed" ticket. Thus it is not fairly
to be said that the result will be a
real test Of the States sentiment.
The general opinion is that Massa-
chusetts wants Roosevelt now more
than it did four years ago, but that
it is going to produce muddled re-
suit from anomalous conditions. The
Regulars" are devoting all energies
to defeating the ticket of delegates
at-large pledged to Roosevelt, and
will, of course, assume, if they sue
coed, that they have given the colonel
black eye in the East, where this
year he seems strongest. But Mas
sachusetts will know better, and the
country will not greatly err in con-
STRUNG the result.
1t turns out that Senator Cum
Minis, after a week of nerve-racking
see-saw, has carried Nebraska; he
gets all its delegates except the two
from a single Congressional district.
He has also carried Montana, Iowa,
and Minnesota, and his supporters
think he will get Oregon, South Da-
kota, and Colorado. They hope for
Idaho, under the Borah leadership.
In Ohio the Ford propaganda has
started something, which may mix
matters considerably; for the same
campaign to induce voters to write
in the name of Ford, as was done in
Nebraska, has been started, backed
by newspaper advertising. Precise
ly what Republicans imagine can be
gained, in the direction of clarifying
party or national counsels, through
the Ford movement, is beyond COM
prehension.
1t is very evident now that the
convention at Chicago will meet with
no idea what it is going to do. 1t
will be divided among favorite sons,
some of them not very much favored,
and composed of delegates who
despite some nominal instruction will
generally regard themselves as free
to do whatever may seem best for
party interests. There will be some
of them actuated by the primary
purpose to- beat Roosevelt at all
cost; but the number of these will be
less than seemed likely few weeks
ago. Roosevelt looms bigger in pub
lie opinion, as it has become plain
that he is not plotting to nominate
himself. People are understanding
the Port of Spain statement; they
realize what he meant when he said
that, it would require to have "some-
thing heroic in it's mood" if it should
nominate him.
If Roosevelt had been plotting to
nominate himself, he would hardly
have thrown away his chance at the
support of German sympathizers. He
knew that Wilson had already lost
support. He was an astute enough
politician to understand that under
such circumstances he could have got
it, very largely, by playing for it
He chose not to play, and in doing
so made it obvious to thinking peo-
pie that he was more interested in
shaping national opinion to his way
of thinking about international sub.
jects, than in getting himself nomi.
mated.
If that shaping process shall &c
on as rapidly in the next six weeks
as it has gone in the last month II
Il - y