Evening star., 1916-04-27
FIFTEEN TO ENTER
IN c. 0. P: CONTEST
All to Be Voted For on First
Ballot at Chicago
Convention. :
THEN WILL BE STARTED
PROCESS OF elimination
Politicians Discuss Chances of Swing
to Hughes and of a Roose-
welt Stampede.

Fifteen candidates, near" candidates
and suggested friends candidates
for the republican presidential nomina
tion will be voted for on the first ballot
in the republican national convention.
1t does not necessarily mean that all
these men will be placed in nomination.
but their friends will give them a COM
p1imentary ballot. of the "favorite
son" type, well known to politicians.
Here are the prospective fifteen.
named alphabetically, to play no IA
vorites: Burton, Borah. Brumbaugh,
Cummins. du Pont. Estabrook. Fair
banks. Ford, Hughes, La Toilette. Root,
Roosevelt. Sherman. Smith. Weeks.
There will be much clapping Of hands
in interested quarters as the votes are
announced and some of the recipients
will glow with pride.
Process of Elimination.
Second ballot: then begins the merci-
less process of elimination, or as they
say in the political vernacular. "shak-
ing out the dead ones" Some Of the
favorite sons, with material backing,
will stick through other ballots, but as
the voting proceeds the list of sur
vivors will rapidly grow shorter until
II carries only the names of the real
contestants. and then will come the
battle royal.
All of this. of course, is qualified by
the possibility that on the second bal
lot Justice Hughes may have an over
whelming majority, and be nominated
and the delegates be leaving the hall
to look up train schedules for home.
Expect Fair Try-out.
Friends of the avowed candidates
say, however. that this is not likely to
happen. 1t is claimed that there will
be sufficient combined strength Of these
candidates. together with Roosevelt's
aid, to hold the convention until there
can be a fair try-out of all the impor-
tant candidates. and opportunity for
conference with the object of assuring
harmony and general acceptance Of the
candidate named.
In the meantime. in the lulls. a rasp-
ing sound is heard; 'tis the champing
of the bits of the dark horses" i'm
are blanketed. but their outlines re-
semble Senator Harding and Gov. Nc
Call. The other candidates fear their
presence there bodies no good.
NO dDSOlutely 0epenQaDle recOr0 eX-
lists. as ascertained by inquiry in off,
cial quarters, of the predictions of
the delegates thus far elected. outside
of the favorite-son instructed states.
Nothing like a reasonable approxima-
tion of the complexion of the conven-
tion can be obtained until the second
ballot is cast.
Discount Roosevelt Stampede.
Can there be a Roosevelt stampede" ?"
Is the question often asked. There
cannot. in the opinion of the best in
formed republicans at the Capitol They
say that undoubtedly when the colonel
is placed in nomination, as they ex-
pect him to be, there will be a mon
strous demonstration. 1t is thought he
may be favored by possibly one-third
OF the convention, and these enthusiast
are calculated upon to make things
lively. But, II Is claimed the Roose-
welt sentiment will wear itself out in
the shouting while the two-thirds who
are to do the voting will remain stolid-
ly in their chairs and let the welkin
ring all 1t wants to, biding their time
until the voting comes
An unprecedented feature Of this rom
vention will be the sight Of the pro
gressive party holding its convention
simultaneously with the regulars. The
show In the big tent and the little tent
Will go on at the same time and the
two places are to be connected by manv
lines OF telephone, so that there NAV
De instantaneous communication and
conference between the two republicsn
factions