New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-04
Progressive Wing Re-
fuses to Forget
1912 SteamrOller.
PILGRIMS BREAK
NEW S TO COLONEL
W. l.. Ward Says Root
Told Him He Does Not
Want to Run.
Egrom . stan co7urond-nt Of IN. rriSuns.l

tgron . star Co1uroud-nt Of IN. Triouns.)
Oyster Bay, Long Island, May 3.-1f
the Old Guard succeeds in nominating
Elihu Root for President they will
have TO elect him over the opposition
Of the Progressives and the Progress
sive- Republicans who followed Colonel
Roosevelt in 1912.
Even should Colonel Roosevelt wish
to support MIR. Root this opposition will
still prevail For, however kindly the
Progressives might feel toward some
other person as a candidate, Roots
part in the 1912 convention has not
been forgotten. and judging from the
protests that have been aroused by the
reports sent out from Washington that
Mr.. Roosevelt would support him, he
Is not likely 70 be forgiven.
This was made clear to-day by two
pilgrims who journeyed to Sycamore
Hill. One of these, elected delegate
70 the Republican convention, and the
other, who will sit in the Progressive
convention, declared on their return
10 tho village that they had told Mr..
Roosevelt that Progressives and Pro
sressive-Republicsns would not stand
for Root
T. r. Mum on Candidates.
In reply. they quote Colonel Roose-
velt as saying that he had not de-
clsred for or against any candidate and
did stand on his statement issued on
his return from Chicago. that the man
10 be nominated must be one who
stands for the larger Americsnism and
who not only can be elected but can
be depended upon TO carry out the pol
icies for which Mr.. Roosevelt stands.
To declare for or against any candi
date the Colonel was quoted as saying
would put him in the position Of at
tempting to dictate the nomination and
involve him in the one thing he has
sought 10 avoid since the beginning OF
the canvass -factional politics. The
all important thing. he pointed out. is
the national need and not the political
fortunes OF any one man.
Progressive feeling as reflected by
the visitors of to-day is Of intense 10y
atty TO Colonel Roosevelt, but not 10
the extent Of following him blindly
should he for any reason elect to sup
port a reactionary nominee. as Progress
sives consider Root. That would be
the parting Of the ways. They do not
believe, moreover, that feeling and
speaking as he did in 1912 about Sen
ator Root Colonel Roosevelt could this
fall ask his friends to support him.
Progressives Won't Stand Root.
However, should he decide to do so
there is not much room for doubt that
the Progressive convention would take
the bit in its teeth and make its own
nomination, selecting for the head OF
the ticket some such man as Hiram
Johnson, Of California
There are Progressive leaders, how
ever, who do not tako tho Root candi-
dacy as seriously as some others do
They feel that ex-senator Root is be-
ing used as stalking horse TO enable
Senator Murray Crane and his asso-
ciates in the old board Of party man
ayers to sidetrsck Roosevelt and force
the nomination of Justice Hughes.
These see that with a convention di-
vided between Mr. Roosevelt and Mr.
Root, a move at the right moment 10
name Justice Hughes as the one man
who might bring harmony and victory
would be successful, even though JUS
tice Hughes had not in the meantime
given his consent 10 the use Of his
name
This group believes that neither Mr.
Root nor those who have put HIM for
ward have any delusions as TO the pos
sibility of his being elected, even
though he be nominated by united
party.
Say Ex-senator Can't Win.
They believe. and they quote some
Of the Old Guard leaders as having
said. that whatever chance Roots boom
launched first at the dinner Of the New
York County Lawyers Association or
his retirement from the Senate. had
disappeared underneath the 100000 ma
ioritv against the new constitution.
Until that vote was counted Wal
street was fairly confident that il could
mt Root through the convention. and
there is no doubt that he is still the
hone Of the district below Fulton
Street which il he should be named q,
chicago will provide greater cam.
paign fund than Hanna ,rs.I,ss raised d in 1895
-. weaknesses. The tag Of big bust
ness % which he would have 10 carry
would. to the Progressives and Pro-
sressive Republicans be aim almost as re-
Esiorsl Roosevelt, whose cold has
ro,,, almost entirely disappeared, will