The Washington times., 1916-05-19
CUMM|NS seen AS
REAL DARK HORSE
Many Believe He Would Be
More Grateful" to Old
Guard Than Hughes.
BY p. T. RELLIHAN.

NEW YORK. May 1s.-w1th Hughes
sentiment at flood tide and the Hughes
leaders talking as though the battle
were over and their man on his way to
the White House. there are manv Re-
characterization men. too-who
say they do not believe II will be
Hughes.
The Justice. in their opinion. has
chance of the nomination about equal
to that Of any one OF the six or seven
leading candidates. perhaps trifle
better. perhaps not uuite as good.
That Justice Hughes seems to have
the lead over his rivals just now is
admitted: that lead Ia. not 30 great
II In held. a. to afford an assurance Of
the nomination or Justify the confident
talk Of his friends. And Justice Hughes.
II 10 asserted. owing to the peculiar
circumstances Of his case. would need
to have very pronounced lead In order
To win.
May Turn To Cummins.
When the Old Guard leaders arrive
in Chicago and find they cannot put
Elihu Root across or Nominate any
other out-and-out standpat candidate
without peril Of another break with the
Progressives. they will turn. II 10 pre-
dicted. not to Justice Hughes. whom
none OF them likes, but to Senator Cum
Minis Of Iowa.
IL seems freakish and paradoxicai
to sneak of Cummins as the probable
ultimate choice of the Old Guard lead
ers. The man in the street with a SUI
perficial knowledge OF the Iowa Senator
and his record AZ a progressive Repub-
lican might conclude he would be
about the last man to find favor In
Old Guard eyes.
Senator Cummns IL known even as an
admirer of Colonel Roosevelt: II has
been supposed II he could not get the
nomination for himself. ne would prefer
to see the colonel rather than any other
one named: that Roosevelt would be the
second choice Of a majority OF the Cum
Minis DELEGATES.
cans. who talk OF an old Guard shift
to Cummins as strong convention
possibility. But Senator cummins, with
all his progressive views, 10 quite a
different man than Justice Hughes.
likely to command Old Guard support
In Chicago.
No Hope For Reward.
The Old Guard leaders, should they
decide on Hughes. would have to sup
port him. II is pointed out. without
hope of reward. They know Justice
Hughes too we'll to try to bind him to
any bargain or terms. and they would
not fool themselves into belief that
he would be grateful" after his cleo
ton.
In the case Of Senator Cummins, 1t
10 believed they might hope for recog-
milton from him as President. Senator
Cummins In represented in Republican
gossip as eager In the last degree for
the nomination; willing. perhaps. to
come TO terms with any element in the
party which could bring about che
realization OF an ambition Of long
standing. The Old Guard leaders, at
Minis. -
There is little doubt. practically none,
II II said. that Colonel Roosevelt would
accept Cummins and work heartily for
his election. The Progressives would
fall into lire, feeling they had won a
victory by forcing the nomination OF a
progressive Republican,: yet all the time
the Old Guard leaders would have the
qualification of knowing that although
they had not put across their FIRST or
even their second or third choice for
President. they had succeeded in shelv-
ing those twin evils. Roosevelt and