The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-03-23
COLONEL ROOSEVELT
PLANS A STAMPEDE
KEEP OUT OF PRIMARY ELEc-
TloNS-THlNkS CHANCES IN
CONVENTION BETTER.

The New York Herald prints the
following:
That Theodore Roosevelt is an ag.
gressive candidate for the republican
presidential nomination, and that he
stands reasonably fair chance OF
getting it, have been brought home
with considerable force during the last
few days to the republican leaders OF
the country.
His refusal to be a candidate in the
primaries in Illinois and Massachu-
sets means to the republicans only
that Roosevelt will stand a better
chance of stampeding the national
convention than of winning a great
number of delegates in the primary
elections. Those who usually ex-
press his sentiments declare that, If
Justice Hughes declined to be a nom
inee, Roosevelt is almost sure of run
ming off with the nomination.
Managers Are Puzzled.
With the nominating convention
less than three months off, the party
managers are realizing more each day
that they are up against a somewhat
different situation than has confront
ed them in many years The only re-
publicans for whom there seems. to be
anything like a strong natural senti-
ment are Justice Hughes and Roose-
welt. The leaders-those men who
dominated the convention of 1912-do
not really want either of them.
"As between the two they prefer
Justice Hughes, but they don't know
whether, if they turn to him at the
eleventh hour, he will accept or decline
the nomination. If they let things run
along as they are now, the party mas
ters believe, and at the crucial moment
lail to induce Justice Hughes to be
their nominee, they will have Roose-
welt on their hands in much more for
midable form than he assumed In the
last national convention.
His Statement Significant.
"Roosevelts recent statement from
Port of Spain was construed by politi-
clans as his definite announcement
that he will make a fight for the NOM
ination. In this declaration he made
it plain that the people of the coun-
try, in his opinion, should choose as
their next president one whose views
on the international situation are fixed
and heroic" 2a&
His are presumed to be both.
Many persons here who have watch
ed developments with a hawk eye, |
waited for an utterance from Mr.. |
Roosevelt on the presidency, having
been led to believe that any statement |
from him on the presidential situation
would be his equivalent of throwing |
his hat into the ring.
Campaign May Start Soon.
Now it is not doubted here among |
politicians that he is a candidate and |
that other candidates would better
look out" He will return to this
country from his West Indian trip |
about March 20, and his campaign is
likely to take definite shape soon
thereafter
His decision to take himself out Of
all primary elections caused no sur
prise among politicians. The terrific
slump in the progressive vote, as
shown by the elections of 1914 and
1915, foreshadowed a very small vote
for any primary candidate in 1916.
While the machines are in control
of important states the direct primary
system of choosing delegates may
prove to be a fly in the bosses" ONT
ment. The prairie delegates are not
ordinarily as amenable to boss rule as
are delegates chosen by the old con-
vention system.
Hughes Men Still Silent.
No one in the last week has come
forward with any new statement re-
garding Justice Hughes position. A
survey of the situation west of Illinois
would indicate that it is about neck
and-neck race for popular support be-
tween him and Theodore Roosevelt 1t
is believed by the leaders that If 1t
were definitely known that Justice
Hughes would accept nomination he
would jump rapidly ahead of the field
and enlist sufficient strength to enable
him to get the Chicago nomination
without trouble.
There is no indication that any dem
ocrat will oppose President Wilson for
the democratic nomination. Sentiment
among democrats everywhere appears
to favor him. His national defense
program has struck a popular chord
and the party leaders everywhere as
sumo that he will be renominated
practically by reclamation. The only
fight in store for the democrats will
come over their platform.