The Washington times., 1916-04-16
Nothing Like T. RS 1903 Ma
chine, or Taft's In 1912, for
II This Year.
PROGRAM IS IN DOUBT
But Republicans Hope to Middle
Through Somehow Without
a Split.
BY P. T. RELLIHAN.

NEW YORK, April 16.-The steam
roller will be conspicuously absent from
the Chicago convention. according to an
Old Guard leader That Is one of the
few points in connection with the con-
ventions. he says. on which decision
has been reached.
Roosevelt, then President, made free
use OF the steam roller in the national
convention Of 1908 to natten out oppo-
sition to William H. Taft; without its
help the colonels hand-picked candidate
for President in that year might not
have gone over so easily.
In 1912 conditions had undergone a
reversal. The Old Guard was for Taft |:
steam roller was brought out and oiled
and headed against Its former pro-
prietor.
tant adjunct in the squelchlng Of
Roosevelt delegates, and operated II
quite as mercilessly as II previously
had been operated under the colonels
orders.
Barred This Year.
There is to be nothing OF the kind
in this years convention, II Is said.
In their interchange of ideas relative
to the convention, Old Guard leaders
from tire various States early arrived
at o decision. as reported, to discard
the stean roller as an Influence not
fitted to the needs of 1916.
How they and their program Will fare
without II aid Is more than they yet
know. They expect to muddle along
somehow The grand objective this
yenr Ia q united and harmonious Repub-
iican party, and steam-roller methods.
experience has shown. make for fac
t'onalism. not for peace.
The old Guard, according to all ac-
counts, IL pretty thoroughly split on
questions OF convention policies. The
New York Old Guard. Is Ia understood.
IN no. in complete agreement with
standpat Republicans in many of the
other states. The anti Roosevelt senti-
ment is stronger in this State than In
most quarters. II Is asserted there are
States In which T. r. is almost an Old
Guard favorite by comparison with the
intense hostility Of the leaders OF the
New York state organization
Many Conferences.
Conferences innu Slerable have taken
place anong Old Guard leaders. in twos
E and threes and In larger groups. 1t Is
said. without bringing them to a fully
settled program for the convention.
Ono element in the Old Guard clinYs
to the hope of nominating Ellhu
Root; there are others among the
Stand-pattcrs who see no probability
In sure to be in some degree at least
to the Republican public opinion of
the hour. will regard Root as an ac-
septable standard bearer.
What to do in case the Root can
didacy proves &c be impossible IL a
question on which the Old Guard
leaders in the oierent States are said
TO hold different views. Some take
the view that II Root cannot he put
across the thing far the Old Guard
70 do Is to get solidly behind Justice
Hughes.
Uncertain as to Hughes.
The advocates of that plan labor
under the disadvantage that It Is not
known for certain whether Hughes
ever will consent to the use of his
name.
There are Old Guard leaders. II II
said--but not many in this State
who find little choice between Hughe,
and Roosevelt. II Root CIR Burton oI
Weeks or Mann cannot be nominated
this last-named element would be al
most as ready. II Is asserted, to turr
TO Roosevelt as to Hughes. particu
larly II It should be evident thai
Hughes could not be named without
friction with the colonel.
II was pointed out by the Old Guart
leader quoted above that Roosevelt
nowhere Is on record as pledginl
himself to the support of Hughes "
case the Supreme Court justice II
mado the nominee Fllhu Root, II,
said is the only candidate thus IA
whom Roosevelt has promised to sup
rort in the event OF his nomina ton
The Old Suard leader thought th'
fact would be Roots chief asset II