The Washington times., 1916-04-20
So Says Charles Sumner Bird,
Candidate for Delegate-at-
Large in Massachusetts.
ASSERTS HE is NOT ALONE
Declares Commercial Men Of the
Country Are Coming to Real
ize They Must Have Colonel.
By HENRY L. sToDDARD.


BOSTON, April finn no politician
I'm Just a plain business man. As
business man would instantly forget
two-thirds OF my business cares II
knew that Theodore Roosevelt is TO he
In the white House the next four years.
I'm rot alone among business men.
either. in that feeling. Even those who
have had a hatred for him inNthe past
the heads OF big factories and of small
shops--admit that he is the one man
that can put business where II belongs
ON a safe. definite basis. Thank God.
| they are waking up at last. Now let
| the politicians wake up, too. and give
the country a man."
Thus declared Charles Sumner Bird.
| Progressive leader In Massachusetts,
candidate for governor in 1913. and now
candidate for delegate-at-large to the
Republican national convention.
Mccall Offered To Retire.
| There is no political prophet here
who will stake his reputation on the as
sertlon that Bird will be defeated. Gov
crnor Mccall offered TO retire in his
favor. and Bird declined. Colonel Roose-
welt has publicly and privately insisted
that his name should not be used by
| Bird in the sense that he Is a Presiden-
i tial candidate. Yet Bird has not budged.
Every influence that could be exerted
TO make Bird accept unanimous cleo
ton as delegate. or to compromise in
any way, has failed to impress him in
the slightest. It's fight to the finish
with Bird. He proposes TO have the
Republican voters decide It: not the Re
publican bosses.
81 consulted no interest. no trust. no
boss when i determined to announce
myself as a candidate for delegate-at-
large he said today. II sought no Gre
dentials from anywhere save the State
| OF Massachusetts. Under the law, as "A
| citizen. I am free to enter the primaries,
and that is exactly what / am doing
putting 1t UP to the people. primary
4 without a contest Is a farce. That Is
the kind of primary the party bosses
like. but II | can help 1t they are not
going to be permitted to stifle the real
sentiments of the Republicans of this
State as to their choice for President.
know the man the people want: so
do the bosses. am in favor OF nomi-
mating that man; the bosses are not.
That is the one reason am In this
Must the nominee be Roosevelt"
Must Be Roosevelt.
Eyes. II the Republicans are going TO
try to please the people," replied Mr..
Bird. at is FIVE to one against any
other candidate except Hughes. and it's
odds against Hughes. Wilson Is not
going TO be an easy man to defeat.
The people are Disguised with his vacil-
lating. hesitating. never-deciding policy
in foreign matters. but he has put
through lot of progressive leglsla-
ton. and will get the credit for II. Only
Roosevelt can surely defeat him. That
Is because the people know Roosevelt
and will follow him. Roosevelt Is a
platform; nc one else Ia.
! Il find the people interested only In
two luestions-war and business The
moment you talk about the danger to
, the hppauaR of nnDTaDATedneSS
they are interested the moment you
talk about what's going 10 happen TO
them industriaily after Europe stops
fighting, they are interested. God only
knows what will happen 10 us after
the war unless we prepare adequately
TO protect our industries against a Tor
elgn INVASION No man needs to
be told that the present Administration
doesn't know how. and Is not particu-
larry concerned about 1t, anyhow.
, Must Broaden Vision.
The 100000 voters who left the Re-
publican organization in 1912 believed
It had outlived its usefulness-had lost
its vision and its intimate contact with
the people. They felt. and they were
largely right. that the so-called big
interests had too large an influence In
. shaping its policies. People have moi
their minds. There are enough voters
Of that opinion to change the result
next Novermer in half a dozen States
! every one of which Is essential TO Re-
| publican success
Now there must be a broadening OF
vision. widening out of purpose, a
more complete Identity with the in,
terests o. the common people
The Chicago convention should mari
the first step in building up party OF
a that type. II II does. you will hear NJ
more Of the Democratic party at Wash
. | inGton for n generation to come. II II
does not. then it's Wilson again, anC
}, that's all there Is to it