New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-11-16
FRACTIONAL Fight
ON in CALIFORNIA
Former G. 0.P. Chairman Blamed
for Downfall Of Hughes

San Francisco, Nov. 16.-Soon aft
err Francis V. Keesling, who was
republican state chairman when
Charles E. Hughes visited California,
returned from Southern California
yesterday anG said he had no COM
ment to make on the charge of the
progressives that the ole guard was
responsible for Hughes defeat in this
state, Chester H. RoweI, progressive
leader and now chairman of the re-
publican state committee, issued
statement charging that Keesling and
William H. Croker, republican ma
tional committeeman, suppressed the
advice and demands Of Hughes ma
tional advisers. This charge fol-
lowed renewed rumors that Theodore
Roosevelt and George w. Perkins in
tended to snub Hiram w. Johnson in
connection with 1920 because of
Hughes defeat here.
eff the advice and practically the
demands of the national managers of
Mr.. Hughes campaign" said MI
Rowell, had not been defied and sup
pressed by those temporarily in
charge of it in California, Mr.. Hughes
would now be, beyond question,
president elect of the United States"
Chairman Rowell went into details
regarding the news dispatches from
New York that National Chairman
Wilcox had said that it was untrue
that Governor Hughes ever had de-
cl1ned to meet Governor Johnson,
that he had not been reliably in
formed that Governor Johnson had
refused to meet Mr. Hughes, and that
he was not going to criticise Governor
Johnson or anybody else until he got
all the facts.
81 doubt seriously if Mr.. Wilcox
made any such statement" said Mr.
Russell. cat any rate, it is not i'm
portant either way. The important
thing is that it shall be understood
both in California and in the east
that the issue is not and never was
one of exchange OF personal courte-
sizes as between Governor Johnson
and Mr.. Hughes. Both these men are
gentlemen, and it may be taken for
granted that there could have been
no intentional violation of the per-
sonal amenities by either Of them.
Even if there had been, it would have
had none but a personal Importance
and would be no part of any public is |
sue.
1.-THE whole question was one of |
presenting Mr.. Hughes in an attitude |
Of right Or wrong relationship to !
western progressivism and all Of the
Amor incidents and details are of |
significance only TO whatever extent |
they became symbolic of this seo,a-
ton. 1t was perfectly understood by |
Mi +~ 1,o
the time Neither side was concerned
either to demand or to deny any
merely personal courtesies toward
Governor Johnson. But Mr. Croker,
and especially Mr.. Keesling, insisted,
even to the extent of defying Ma
tional Chairman Wilcox and of threat
ening to defy Mr.. Hughes himself,
that they would prevent any recogni-
ton of Governor Johnson personally
or of the progressives as such which
could be susceptible to the suspicion
Of apparent neutrality as between
Governor Johnson and Mr. Booth, or
which could open Mr.. Hughes to the
imputation of permitting the repub-
lican party to be progressivized, even
by the vote Of the majority Of it's
m EN- bers
1.-THE result of their efforts in this
policy was that they succeeded in pre-
senting to the people Of California the
picture of Mr.. Hughes which they
had desired and all our assurances
that the picture was a false one did
not succeed in emoving this impress
sion from the minds Of all the people.
Many persons refused to accept our
assurances as against what they re-
garded as an ocular demonstration to
the contrary.
"Mr. Croker and Mr.. Keesling
played the game Of symbolism with
fatal success. The kilograms from
Chairman Wilcox. which gradually