Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-06-30

By a vote Of 80 to 6. with nine members
declining to vote. the national committee
of the Progressive party Endorsed Hughes
for President and the bull moose party
practically went out of existence as a
national political organization.
After the secretary of the committee had
read Roosevelt's letter. finally declining the
nomination for President and urging that
Hughes be supported by the members of
the Progressive party in order to defeat
President Wilson. the committee voted to
accept Roosevet's declination.
Chairman Hale ruled that the motion
to indorse or recommend the Republican
candidate for President was out of order
and debate of several hours ensued.
John M. Parker, the Vice Presidential
nominee Of the Progressive party. made
a fiery protest against any Endorsement
He intimated that he might vote for Presi-
dent Wilson.
Commenting editorially on Roosevelt's
cowardly conduct. the Philadelphia Rec.
ord makes the following structure. which
is, without doubt. deserved:
MIR. Roosevelt writes himself down as a
man who has courage enough to make a
threat and not enough TO execute it, He
can make bluff. and when ii is called he
backs down. That is the substance of his
shifty and evasive letter to his dupes.
THE letter explains to the poor fools
whom he sent TO Chicago to nominate him
that as things actually are the Progress
sive national organization no longer offers
means whereby we can make these con-
victions effective in our national life,
which is circuitous and pussy-footed way
Of saying that the Progressives cannot
carry the election. 1t is unpatriotic to re-
fuse TO do the best possible merely because
the people have not put us in position to
do what we regard as the very best As
Mr.. Roosevelt wrote to Mr.. Hartman when
appealing TO him to raise 100000 TO
save an election, we are practical men.
and practical men must not throw away
NuCu NOtC5 lOi AllhcNs uuN NiiOucC
between the Democrats and Republicans.
But this was the situation four years ago,
when Mr.. Roosevelt ran for the purpose of
defeating Mr.. Taft. Il was so last winter
before the Progressive convention was
called Mr.. Roosevelt admits this. He
says:
"'This was the situation at the opening
of the present year. Ii was clearly evil
dent that unless cataclysm occurred the
Presidential election would result in the
choice Of either the Republican or the
Democratic nominees
why. then. was the Progressive con-
vention heldi Evidently il was held solely
to threaten and intimidate the Republican
convention. Mr.. Roosevelts letter proves
that il was held with no expectation by
him that Progressive candidate could be
elected, but in the expectation that the
Republican convention could be bullied
into nominating Mr.. Roosevelt. or. at least,
into nominating some one selected by him
He tried this by proposing Henry Cabot
Lodge.
1T is now evident that Mr.. Roosevelt had
no idea. even as far back as last winter,
Of running as third candidate. His threats
20 do so were only intended to scare the
Republican convention into giving him the
nomination. Specifically he threatened to
run II Mr.. Hughes were nominated. He
would compromise on Lodge. but never on
Hughes The convention paid no atten-
ton TO him; il neither nominated him nor
his man Friday; Il nominated the man he
had declared to his friends that he would
not support because he was pussy-footine
on the German issue. And Theodore Roose-
welt eats crow.
He tentatively declined, and now de-