The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-06-29
ROOSEVELT FOR HUGHES;
SOUNDS CALL TO PARTY
Declines Nomination Of Progressives
Finally in Long Statement.

ed to accept the Presidential nomina-
ton of the party and strongly urged the
organization to support Charles E.
Hughes. The ColonePs letter was
read by Oscar King Davis, secretary of
the Committee.
The Colonels letter, which is very
lengthy, says, in part:
To the Progressive National Com
mittee:
Gentlemen-In accordance with the
message sent to the Progressive Ma
tional Convention as soon as | had re-
ceived the notification that it had
nominated me for President, now COM
municate to you my reasons for declln-
ing the honor which | so deeply ap-
preciate. Since the adjournment of
the Convention | have received be-
tween 2OO0 and 5000 letters and tele-
grams from men who had supported
me for the nomination, the majority
expressing the desire that l would re-
fuse to run, while a minority urged
that | should accept the nomination.
AS it is physical impossibility to
answer these letters and kilograms in
dividually, beg of the courtesy of the
senders that they will accept this public
statement in lieu of such answers.
Events have shown that the Pro-
gressive party in 1912 offered the only
alternative to the triumph of the
Democratic party. Moreover, these
events have shown that the applica-
ton of the principles which we then
advocated is even more necessary to
this nation than we at the time sup
posed.
Sooner or later the national princi-
piles championed by the Progressives
of 1912 must in their general effect be
embodied in the structure of our ma
tional existence. With all my heart
shall continue to work for these great
ideals shoulder to shoulder with the
men and women who in 1912 cham
pioned them; and am sure that these
men and women will show like loyalty
to the other, the fundamental ideals
which the events Of the past two years
have proved to be vital to the perman-
ency of our national existence. The
method by which we are to show cur
loyalty to these ideals must be de-
termined in each case by the actual
event. Our loyalty is to the fact, to
the principle, to the ideal, and not
merely to the name and least of all to
the party name.
The Progressive movement has been
given an incalculable impetus by what
the Progressive party has done. Our
strongest party antagonists have &C.
copied and enacted into law, or en-
bodied in their party platforms, very
many of our most important principles.
Much has been accomplished in awaken
ing the public to better understand
ing of the problems of social and indus
trial welfare.
Yet it has been entirely evident that
the people under existing conditions are
prepared to accept new party.
1t is impossible for US Progressives
to abandon our convictions. But we are
faced with the fact that as things ac-
tually are the Progressive national or
ganization no longer offers the means
whereby we can make these convict
ions effective in our national life. In
der such circumstances, our duty is to
do the best we can, and not to sulk be-
cause our leadership is rejected.
That we ourselves continue to be-
lieve that the course we advocated was
in the highest interest of the American
people is aside from the question. 1t
is unpatriotic to refuse to do the best
possible merely because the people have
not put US in position to do what we re-
gard as the very best. 1t remains for
US, good-humoredly and with common
sense, to face the situation and en-
deavor to get out of it the best that it
can be made to yield from the stand
point of the interests of the nation as a
whole.
This was the situation at the opening
of the present year. 1t was clearly
evident that unless a cataclysm occur
red the Presidential election would re-
suit in the choice of either the Repub-
lican or the Democratic nominee. The
present administration during its three
years of life had been guilty of short
comlngs more signal than those of any
Administration since the days of Buch-
anan.
From the standpoint of national honor
and interest, it stood on an even lower
level than the Administration of Buch-
anan. No Administration in our history
had done more to relax the spring of
the national will and to deaden the
national conscience. Within the Re-
publican party conflicting forces were
at work. There were men among the
organization leaders who advocated a
course of action such as offered no i'm