The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-11-16
BUNGLING BY HUGHES
MANAGERS IS BLAMED
FOR CALIFORNIA LOSS

.5an Francisco. Nov. 16-Soon after
Francis v. Keesling. who was Repub'
lican state chairman when Charles E
Hughes visited California, returned
from Southern Salifornia yesterday
and said he had no comment to make
on the charge Of the Progressives tha'
the Old Guard was responsible fol
Hughes defeat in this state, Chester
II. Rowell, Progressive leader and
now chairman Of the Republican state
committee, issued q statement charg'
ing that Keesling and William H
Croker, Republican National com
miteeman, suppressed the advice and
demands Of Hughes national advisers
This charge followed renewed ru-
Inors that Theodore Roosevelt and
George w. Perkins intended to snuh
Hiram w. johnson in connection with
1920 because of Hughes defeat here
If the advice and practically the
demands OF the national managers OF
Mr.. Hughes campaign" said Mr..
Rowell, chad not been def1ed and sup
pressed by those temporarily in
charge of 1t in California, Mr.. Hugh s
would now, be. beyond question, Presi-
dent-elect Of the United States"
Chairman Rowell went into details
regarding the news dispatches from
New York that National Chairman
Wilcox had said that it was unt true
that Governor Hughes ever had de-
clined to meet Governor Johnson.
that he had not been reliably inform
ed that Governor johnson had refused
to meet Mr.. Hughes, and that he was
not going to criticise Governor John
son or anybody else until he got all
the facts.
Not Matter of Amenities.
'I doubt seriously if Mr.. Wilcox
made any such statement" said Mr..
Russell. "At any rate, 1t is not inn
portant either way. The important
thing is that it shall be understood
both in California and in the East
that the issue is not and never was
one Of exchange of personal courte-
sizes as between Governor Johnson and
Mr.. Hughes. Both these men are
gentlemen, and 1t may be takeh for
granted that there, could have been
mo intentional violation Of the per-
isona1 amenities by either Of them.
Even if there had been, it would have
had none but a personal Importance
and would be no part Of any public
issue.
The whole question vas one Of
presenting Mr.. Hughes in an attitude
of right or wrong relationship to
Western Prdgressivisrn, and all Of the
minor incidents and details are of sig
nificance only to whatever extent they
became symbolic Of this situation It
was perfectly understood by both par
ties to the controversy at the time.
Neither side was concerned either to
demand or to deny any merely per-
sonal courtesies toward Governor
johnson. But Mr.. Croker, and es-
pecially Mr.. Keesling, insisted even to
the extent OF defying National Chair
man Wilcox and Of threatening to
defy Mr.. Hughes himself, that they
would prevent any recognition Of Gov
ernor Johnson personally or Of the
Progressives as such which could be
susceptible to the suspicion of appar-
emit neutrality as between Governor
johnson and Mr.. Booth, or which
could open Mr.. Hughes to the impu-
tation Of permitting the Republican
party to be Progr essivized, even by
the vote OF the majority Of it's MEM
beers.
'-The, result Of their efforts in this
policy was that they succeeded In pre-
senting to the people of California the
picture Of Mr.. Hughes which they had
desired. and all our assurances that
the picture was false one did not
a.. x1,;~ 49,.
from the minds of all the people
Many persons refused to accept our
assurances as against what they re-
garded as an ocular demonstration to
the contrary.
Fatal Game OF Symbolism
"Mr. Croker and Mr.. Keesling
played the game Of symbolism with
fatal success. The kilograms from
Chairman Wilcox. which gradually
came to light, indicate that the fault
was not his, but with the California
committee. His telegram to Mr..
Croker demanding recognition for
Progressives in the management of
the Hughes meeting was not merely
ignored, but suppressed, and it's ex-
istence was only learned through 9TH
CT CuduLSlS dLtSI IL WIS tOO ldCc " dC-
complish anything by it. His teIe-
gram requesting that the whole ar
rangements be suspended until the
matter could be taken up by personal
consultation by Mr.. Croker and my
self, together with Mr.. Hughes, in
Portland was not only suppressed but
denied, and It's existence was not re-
vealed until within the last two or
three days."
In reply to this statement Mr..
Keesling said:
I'm not going to say anything The
kilograms were all published at the
time"
Earlier in the day. before the Ro-
well statement was issued, Mr.. KEGS
ling said:
II have not a single word to say re-
garding any personal controversy in
this state and have not single apol-
ogy to AXE"
l.. r. Garrett, prominent in local
Republican affairs and for Is years a
member Of Republican committees In
Los Angeles. declared that both sides
were to blame for Hughes California
defeat.
WILCOX on Suppressed kilograms.
New York. Nov 16-William r.
WILCOX, chairman Of the Republican
National Committee, confirmed last
night some of Mr.. Rowelps statements
about the kilograms from Mr.. Will