West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-06-08

The Republican party meets i'm Ma
tional convention today without n
leader, without candidate, without
an issue, without a guiding principle
and without purpose except as that
purpose may be expressed i'm terms OF
Anything TO Beat Wilson"
1t is a bankrupt party. gambling
desperately for the Presidency. In
deed, 1t is two parties gambling des-
perately for the Presidency. and these
two parties have nothing in common
except their frantic desire for power
and spoils. There alone can be found
the element OF possible cohesion
The issue is as uncertain as the can
didate, because there is no policy OF
government on which the party as a
whole dares to take definite and
final stand. Some OF IL ia for war at
any price and some Of II is for peace
at any price. Some of it is for pre-
paredness and some of it is for paci-
tism Some of it is for exalting the
taritf and some of II is for subordinat-
ing the tariff. Some OF II is for inter
vention in Mexico and some OF it is
for characterization. Some of It is
for America first, and some OF Il is
for Deutschland uber Allies" Some
of 1t sings The Star-Spangled Ban
ner" and some of it sings die Yacht
am Rhein" and some of 1t sings God
Save the King!"
Even on the paramount issue OF
Anything to Beat Wilson" there is
discord and disagreement; for in ev-
cry faction there are Republicans who
prefer Wilson to the favorite candi-
date of any other faction.
In only one respect is the convention
which meets today running true to the
record that the Republican party has
made since the Civil war. II is a con
vention Of property II Is a conven-
ton OF big business. II Is a conven-
ton Of organized wealth. II repre-
sents the restlessness Of great inan-
cial interests under an administration
which treats them Justly but which
they cannot control as they are In the
habit OF controlling administrations
Under Hanna the Republican party
became frankly and unreservedly the
property Of property. and in this ser
vitude the convention is consistent:
but this is a time in which even prop
erty is wavering and uncertain. Il
would like to defeat WILSON but II has
no fixed opinion as to the type or
character OF the man n would like 10
substitute for Wilson II too is wan
dering I'm a maze Of doubt and suspic-
ion. II rs for preparedness, but II h
not keen about degree OF prepared
ness that might arouse the labor and
the farmer vote. II wants an agrees
sive foreign policy that will more
strongly favor the belligerents that
have negotiated extensive war loans
in the United States. but &c does not
want foreign policy that will an
'aponize the German vote, which is
mainly Republican 10 wants re-
storation Of the monopoly tariff. but II
does not want the country to suspect
that that is the sort Of tariff II rs ad-
vocaiug u wants TO put Wall street
back into the White House. but does
not quite see how the thing can he
done The kind Of man It would like
to nominate 70 cannot nominate. and
the kind of man It could nominate Il
has no desire to nominate
And so the Republican party IN con-
veution assembled shuts its eyes and
presses the trigger I'm the fond and
inspiring hope NJ the amateur hunter
who shot to hit n 70 was a deer and to
miss n % was a calf.-New York
World