Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-06-12

P|NGOf
Bull MOOSE
PLANNED
Democratic Leaders At St.
Louis Would Take Over
Progressive Party Bodily
at the Coming Convention

+ = D.
St. Louis. June 12.-One Of the
greatest kidnapping enterprises In his
tory was discovered in st. Louis to-
day. The object Of the effort u the
four-year-old child--the progressive
party.
Democratic organization leaders
are the wouldIbe kidnapers.
Events in Chicago and Oyster Bar
Saturday have changed the color Of
this weeks convention. and instead
Of being q perfunctory ratification
meeting 1t may turn ont to be q truly
thrilling affair. Quiet conferences
among the democratic committeemeR
last night resulted in the determina-
tion Of the new program.
Rooseveit's refusal to run reiter-
ated yesterday-inspired the kidnap-
ling plan. 1t is the opinion Of demo-
cratic committeeman that Roosevelt's
action spells the death Of the progress
|sive party. The committeeman viii
bend every effort toward gathering IA
the four million prosressive rioters.
They have counseled with Washing
ton by wire in the brief time the plan
has been forming and the White
House is said to be prepared to back
the effort.
Swift developments since Saturday
may have q marked bearing on the
democratic platform. although one Of
the men involved in the KIDNAPPING
scheme said the democratic platforms
would solve the problem.
National Chairman Mc6ombs. said
to be the actual ringleader Of the kid
naping project. will. 1t is believed.
help to bring 1t to head.
Asked If overtures to progressive
leaders were proposed. McCombs re-
fused to discuss the matter further.
He maintained the same attitude
concerning any steps that may have
been taken by him in this connection
while in Chicago.
Others said, however, that the fact
that r. r. would abandon his leader
ship of the moose party was not
known in Chicago when McCombs
left there Friday. This made 1t al
together unlikely the democratic
chairman had talked with bull moose
leaders on the subject. There is ev-
cry indication that the thought was
born Of the colonel's message from
Oyster Bay telling his purpose mot
to take the nomination.
The definite admission was made
by one democratic leader that certain
progressive leaders were to be in st.
Louis within q few days. He would
not admit, however, that they had
been invited.
Colonel r. E. Wing. Louisiana
member of the national committee.
on this point said:
I'VE would like to have them all
here. The treatment received by the
loyal progressive workers at Chicago
constitutes one OF the crimes OF
American political history. Take fell
lows like Victor Murdock, for ex-
ample, who were led out Of the re-
publican party by Roosevelt only to
be left high and dry when Roose-
welt found there was no personal sue
cess for him. Murdock's political
career may be ruined. No one ever
questioned Murdock's sincerity, and
II has been abused shamefully."
Men like Murdock." he added,
-and William Allen White cannot
support Hughes. white has declared
since Hughes was nominated that
Hughes milk and water statement
on Americanism would prevent pro
gressives supporting him (,
"Wfll Murdoch and White be in
vited here2" Wing was asked. N
II can not say" he replied.
.|