The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-06-29
ROOSEVELT
FOR HUGHES
LETTER DECLARES ANYTHING
TO BEAT WILSON.
MOOSE COMMITTEE MEETS
LEADERS SAY THERE WILL BE
NO THIRD TICKET.

The reliable New York Times is
authority for the statement that Col
onel Roosevelt will refuse definitely
to lead the progressive fight this
fall. and will urge upon his follow
ers the support of Charles Hughes.
The Times of Friday reports that a
letter from Col. Roosevelt to the pro
gressive national committee, which
has just been completed and which
will be read at the meeting of the
progressive national committee to-
morrow, was pronounced one of the
ablest documents that ever flowed
from the colonels fertile pen by one
bull moose leader in New York, who
has seen it. In it the colonel comes
out for Charles E. Hughes and
states, as his sole reason for support
ing him the countrys crisis and the
fact that the candidacy of Mr..
Hughes under the present circum-
stances affords the only medium by
which the defeat of President Wilson
can be brought about.
1t was predicted by some progress
sives, who are not at heart in SYM
pathy with Justice Hughes and who,
were it possible with success to do
so, would favor putting a third tick
ct in the field, that the action of the
progressive national committee may
be confined to a mere acceptance OF
the colonels letter. Others expressed
the belief that the national commit
tee would take it's cue from the col
sonel and indorse the candidacy of
NJ. Hughes. Should the former
course be adopted, it would leave the
progressives free to follow their in
dividual bent and join hands either
with the republicans for Hughes or
with the democrats for Wilson.
Some progressive leaders have
been racking their brains for some
means of, as they expressed it, keep
ing the progressive party alive"
There are many difficulties in the
way. In the first place there is the
candidacy of John NJ Parker, of
Louisiana, for yice-president.
Mr.. Parker was nominated by ac-
elamation by the progressive nation
al convention at its closing session,
Just as Col Roosevelt was atethe
session preceding. Only through%hls
withdrawal, it was pointed out yes
terday, would it be possible for the
national committee to substitute on
their ticket for the names of their
own candidates, both candidates of I
the republican party and thus make
them, formally, the candidates of tho
progressivep party, also.
That the withdrawal of9Mr. Par
ker might be brought about without
much difficulty, even though progress
sives from the southern states had
set their hearts, in proposing his
nomination, on the realization of the
cherished aim-the creation of
second white mans party in the
south, is the general opinion among
the bull moose leaders here.
But there would remain obstacles
in the way of general scheme of
cooperation which the progressive
leaders after close study regard as
irsaperable,
In a number of states the law does
not permit the naming of two differ
ent sets of presidential electors for
the same candidate and in other
states the laws initiate against plac-
ing the name of candidate in more
than one column on the ballot. So
that the only alternatives the pro-
gressive leaders see at present are
third ticket complete merger of
the progressives with the republi-
cans, where their party identity
would be lost.