New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-05
Assurances That He Would
Accept Nomination Heard
on All Sides.
FIGHT NOW BETWEEN
JUSTICE AND T. R.
Calvanizing Of Hughes Talk Re-
garded as Move to Check
Roosevelt Sentiment.
fFrom IN. Tribune Rure,r.l

dShlngtOn, hprI ,. MOle pehHieo
statements as TO the willingness Of JUS
tice Hughes to accept nomination
came from Republican leaders to-day
than any that previously have been
made From all sides came a sudden
food Of assurances that the justice
would accept if the conditions were
right. There was evident strong de-
sire to speed up the Hughes boom and
head off the sentiment for Roosevelt
which has made such notable strides
in the last few days.
No authority was claimed for these
statements regarding Justice Hughes,
and it can be stated positively that he
has authorized no such statements nor
changed in any way the attitude he
has held for months. II has long been
accepted here that he felt the Situation
was such that he would have no right
definitely TO make impossible his un-
dertaking Of what circumstances might
present as a patriotic duty. To-day's
flood of assurances. coming apparently
from the inside circles of the party,
was evidently intended to spread this
conviction and vitalize it into campaign
work and Hughes delegates.
disqualification of the Republican
Presidential situation into a straight
fight between Hughes and Roosevelt
is now complete. No one pretends
that any of the "favorite sons" has
any chance at all except as a very
dark horse and in most unlikely
circumstances. The "sons' still are
being used, but all pretence has
been abandoned that they are for
any other purpose than 20 hold the
delegations until the leaders decide
what to do
Every political move made from now
on is to be considered for its erect
on the Hughes Roosevelt struggle, and
to days galVanizing OF the Hughes ta!K
comes under that head. The anti
Roosevelt men have been carried oil
tbeir feet bv the wave Of Roosevelt
sentiment which has followed the con-
ference with Root and Lodge in New
York. and this is regarded as the hrst
answering move.
Strengthens the Hughes Campaign.
The spreading Of assurances that the
Justice will accept the NOMINATION
strengthens the weakest part OF the
Hughes campaign. 1t is very hard, as
the Hughes boomers have found, 10
fight a candidacy so vigorous as thd'
OF the Colonel with the name OF
man who is keeping carefully out OF
the turmoil, and whose very acceptance
of the nomination, if offered, IS DOUBT
full II the public can be eonViheeu
that Hughes Will accept long STEP
will have been taken in heading OH
Roosevelt 49,
Another move has been maze IN the
.ane direction to-day, but Jess openly,
Aasvrences have been passed to the
insiders" that Hughes is right on the
r,ain issues on which il is expected the
campaign will be fought the issues de-
fned by Elihu Root in his famous
eneech. II has been another weakness
of the Hughes boom that no one could
state precisely where he stood on any
;ssue that has arisen since he went on
Tho bench in 1910 He has not appeared
as a leader in any way. and the men
( who feel strongly on the questions as
cussed by Mr. Root, which are IN ehec1
/ the issues raised and formulated ~
/ Colonel Roosevelt, have naturally been
turning toward the latter as leader
/ The assurances along this line gwen
to-day are calculated especially to WIN
such men to the Hughes standard. =,
A little offset to the Hughes tax
was brought here to-day by henry
Allen, of Kansas. a Progressive leader.
Coming from a section where the pac-
/ fist. anti-preparedness sentiment IS
declared to be strong and to have cut
into the Colonel's strength, Mr.. Alien
insists that Roosevelt is stronger than
ever. lie believes, he says, that the
| Roosevelt following IS growing not only
in his own part OF the country. but III
the East. His remarks silenced ior a
time those who were claiming that the
Colonel could not hold on his new IS
sues the strength he had in the West
The assurances which are being gwen
about Mr.. Hughes are very circumstan-
tial. though frankly based on the con-
viction of his individual supporters
and not on any statement OF his OF
other authority than this personal be-
lief. MIR. Hughes. his supporters say
is not at all likely TO change the atti-