Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-06-06
FLINN IN FAVOR
OF PARTY UNION
Former Big Figure at Chicago
Now Views Proceedings
From Sidelines
[From a STAIR Correspondent.l ]


Chicago, June g.. - Four years ago
the most outstanding figure from
Pennsylvania among the delegates was
William Finn. the former State Sena-
tor and Bull Moose leader in the great
contest for the Keystone States dele
cation. To-day he sat quietly chat
ting in the lobby of the Auditorium
Hotel as a detached spectator of the
preliminaries might have done.
Four years have changed Films
point of view. He believes now that
there should be some practical reunion
of the two forces within the Republi-
I can party. He no longer insists that
the party has ceased to have a mis-
sion nor does he declare with the old
time vehemence that all who took part
in the nomination of Taft in 1912 were
without patriotism or party principle.
In those exciting days of 1912 he was
threatened with ejectment from the
! Coliseum by Senator Elihu Root, the
chairman of the convention, because OF
his strenuous objection to decision of
the chairman. 1t was one of the most
remarkable scenes of remarkable
convention and Mr.. Finn promptly
subsided and the regular order pro-
ceeded.
OF course, it must not be forgotten
|
ferent man physically from the Will
liam Finn of to-day. He shows evil
dences of recent severe illness and is
disposed to discuss various phases OF
the convention in a more pacific fash
ion. He believes now as he did four
year ago, that Roosevelt is one of the
greatest Americans of his day and
generation and that he typifies the
very spirit of the new Americanism
which he has been preaching for
months; that his nomination Is the
/ logical one to be made. 1t is also the
judgment of the Bull Moose leaders
that President Wilson is formidable
opponent this year and that the issue
being preparedness it is only reason
able to place the standard of the party
in the hands of the man who repre-
sents the militant ideals.
Mr.. Finn does not insist that Roose-
welt is the only candidate available,
but he believes that the silence of JUS
tice Hughes will render difficult the &C
ceptance of the colonefs chief rival by
the Progressive convention. He says
it is not going to be easy to induce
the Moosers to endorse one whose
views upon the living issues are so
generally unknown. He believes
further that the big job now confront
ing the leaders is to pacify the 1000
900 voters who supported Roosevelt
done with any other candidate than
the man from Oyster Bay is the big
question he frankly admits.
Switching on to the Pennsylvania
situation the Pittsburgher intimated
that the Brumbaugh campaign con-
Quoted in a more skillful way would
have come near eliminating Penrose
in the recent primary.
"Penrose belongs to the old school
which is rapidly passing and he cannot
survive politically much longer" was
the comment of the senator's antagon-
list.
It is the significant attitude of the
Progressives toward Penrose which is
causing much quiet discussion. They
do not hesitate to say that the senator
and five or six others have the destin-
les within their grasp. In their judB-
ment Penrose and those associated
with him can determine the nominee
and a prominent Bull Moose said to-
day that the chief fault of Penrose wa:
that he preferred TO follow than tc
lead; that should he step out and de-
clare for Roosevelt he would satisfy
Republican sentiment and make him
self tower of strength throughou
PENNSYLVANIA and the whole nation
win or lose in this campaign.
There is an undercurrent of opinion
among the Roosevelt leaders that
Penrose is only waiting a favorable
moment and something definite in the
way of understanding as to days t
come to side with Roosevelt albei
other stalwart leaders continue tC
urge Justice Hughes as the logica
choice of the party at this time. 1t i!
believed that Roosevelt himself woulC
be perfectly willing to take off his
spurs and remove traces of 1912 IL
the interest of a reunited party-anC
his own candidacy.
William Finn, sage-like and with M
blood in his eye, chatting contentedl!
with former political foes and his Bull
Moose friends in the midst of th'
political glee clubs and the passint
throng, typifies the changed attitude
of the Armageddon hosts. A. b. Fl.