Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-09
MOOSE IS WAITING
FOR ITS SLAUGHTER
Will Fall Under Republican
Juggernaut if Colonel
Gives Command.
LEADERS BELIEVE PARTY
IS APPROACHING ITS END
Progressives Tired Of Being Out in
Cold and Many Want to
Come Back"
BY EARL GOODWIN.

CHICAGO, June s.-There was once a
boy who stood upon a burning deck. be-
cause his father told him not to leave
until sent for, and that's just about what
the progressive party is doing at this mo-
ment. If Father Roosevelt calls them
they will leave the burning, sinking ship
and escape. If he doesn't call them, the
waters will close above their heads, and
that will be the end of the progressive
party.
When that double quintet representing
both republicans and progressives went
into solemn conclave last night there was
suspicion that they would emerge
with feasible plan to harmonic both
ends of the argument. The suggestion
which came to hand more readily than
anything else was that they all would
get together behind Hughes or Root, and
that the progressives would be told by
Col. Roosevelt to lay down and let the
juggernaut Of fate run over them, for his
sake. and his sake alone. When this
compromise failed to strike the longed-
for harmonious note some of the progress
sive leaders began to look for a soft place
to land, because they figured that the
party is rushing onward to the precipice.
Tired Of Being Outsiders.
Yes. and they are tired of being out
in the cold. and they want to go home
to a regular party again. They're
game little fellows. and they'll stick
right where they are and won't COM
promise unless Theodore Roosevelt tells
them to. And yet see what a position
they are in. even in this extremity.
They organized a one-man party four
years ago and put history out of joint
and have kept in organization because
such a thing has been done in the his
tory of the country. Even now. when
all signs point to the utter dissolution
Of the party unless something remark
able happens. they have a candidate
before two conventions, and that one
man seems to hold the key to the whole
situation. He certainly has the pro-
gressfve party In the palm Of his hand.
He may not know what to do with it,
but. anyhow, it's right there.
The progressives here are taking
Roosevelt religiously. as they have
always taken him and are ready to die
for him. They will compromise, of
course, provided the republicans will
make it Roosevelt. That Is an easy
condition for compromise, as far as
the progressives are concerned.
Sent Emissaries to Republicans.
They sent their emissaries to the re-
publicans with the suggestion that a
conference be brought about, and it
wasn't until the holy fire radical bull
moosers understood that it was an easy
way perhaps to nominate Roosevelt
all around that they would consent.
Then they figured that the progress
sives end of the conference would
agree to compromise on Roosevelt and
If the republicans rushed, the pro-
gressives could go before the country
and say. We'll, we offered to compro-
mise and join the republicans. but
they wouldn't have it." Some of the
republicans believed the agreement
would be on Hughes. They said. Well,
the bull moose claim that Roosevelt
won't support Hughes, but whenever
that statement is made here the Roose-
Welt republican campaign men deny it"
Perhaps the progressives want to
see the name Roosevelt before the re-
publican convention, perhaps they
want to say to the republicans. Look
here, you threw us out Of the chance
to get a fair vote on Roosevelt in
the republican convention four years
ago. Put up his name now at your
convention and let US see what will
happen"