Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-02-18
OPPOSITION TO /.
COL. ROOSEVELT
Lodge, Weeks, Mccall and
Crane in Combination
Against Him
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FIGHT FOR BAY STATE
-- s''su
In Statement Leaders Throw Down
Gauntlet to The Gardner Bird Cush-
ing Movement /.
FIGHT FOR BAY STATE
In Statement Leaders Throw Down

Washington. Feb. IS. = Senators
Henry Cabot Lodge and John W..
Weeks, Governor Samuel w. Mccall
and former Senator w. Murray
Crane issued statement. yesterday
to the effect that they would stand
as candidates for delegate -at-large
from Massachusetts to the Republi-
can National Convention, in opposi-
ton to the Gardner Bird Cushing
candidacy as avowed supporters Of
Theodore Roosevelt.
In making this announcement, hrw-
ever, the Massachusetts organization
leaders stated that whatever COM
initial any one Of us may have been
under to any particular candidate
for the Presidency has been wholly
released and Cancelled"
This reservation was taken at first
to mean that the Massachusetts or
ganization had turned down the cam
didacy of Senator Weeks, who has
been generally regarded as the "fa-
vorite son" Of the Bay State. Later
in the day, however, it was authori-
tatively stated that Senator Weeks
had neither been repudiated nor had
! withdrawn.
'!'he effect of the willingness Of this
group of organization leaders in Mas
sachuSetts to fight as one against the
Roosevelt movement in that State
means that the Republican party in
Massachusetts will enter upon per-
haps the bitterest fight it has eX-
perienced in years and will make it
less difficult for President Wilson
to carry the State in November.
Col. Roosevelt's friends issued
their challenge last week and it has
now been accepted by. the Crane O.!
panization. Until the primary IN
:iprill the contending. forces will hr
at each others throats and the whole
country will watch the result. If
Roosevelt is either victorious or de-
feat:d in Massachusetts, the effect
will have nationwide significance
and a very important bearing upon
the movement to nominate him 1T
Chicago.
The Weeks Lodge Crane Mccall
| statement, rs issued simultaneously
in Boston and Washington. follows:
1--WE have dcided to stand as car
didates for delegates-at-lar - The
Republican National Convention,
which is to meet in Chicago. on June
II. Whatever committal ANY one of US
may have been under to ary pariicu-
lar candidate for the Presidency has
been wholly released and cancelled.
IF the Republicans of the Common
wealth shall see fit to commission US
to represent them we> shall cndeavor,
to the best of our ability. to secure
such action by the Commonwealth as
shall seem at the time as most like
ly to unity the party and restore the
country to Republican control. We
stand absolutely unpledged either for
or against any candidate"
Shortly after this announcement
was made Representative Gardner.
of Massachusetts. the most conspicu-
Gus figure now in the Roosevelt
movement, made the following state
ment to a correspondent:
"If the Republican voters Of Mas
sachusetts want Roosevelt for Presi
dent they will vote for the Cushing.
Bird ticket. If, on the other hand, they
prefer to let other people decide o.
their candidate for them. they viii
vote for the WceksC Crane ticket"
The Massachusetts lines are nov
drawn and it remains to be seel
whether or not the organization O
the Roosevelt element is in control o.
the party in the State.
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