Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-06-01
No Opposition to the Justice
I in Washington, it is
Said
PENRosE DOUBTFUL
Belief is That All Leaders Will Let
Republican Convention Declare Its
Preference

Washington, June 1.-The Republic
can Convention will meet in Chicago
next Wednesday. For the first time
since 1883, when Mr.. Harrison was
nominated after the Convention had
been in session nearly week, the
delegates will meet with no candidate
certain of election on the first ballot.
Most of the constructive minds OF
the Republican party are now in Chi
cago and Washington gets its prin-
cipal information of the progress OF
events in Republican circles from the
Chicago dispatches. The one man
who could by single word write the
history of the entire convention in
advance of it's meeting, is attending
to his duties on the Supreme Bench
in absolute silence, so that all that
comes from Chicago is after all guess
work, intelligent and interesting as
it is.
There is a firm conviction, however,
in Washington, that the press dis
patches from Chicago are Doubtless
unintentionally creating wrong I'M
preston. Every dispatch represents
The so-called Old Guard as devotlng
all it's energy and skill and experience
to defeating the nomination OF JUS
tice Hughes. Washington opinion does
not coincide with this view For IN
stance, former Senator Murray Crane
of Massachusetts, who for years has
been one of the foremost leaders OF
the Old Guard, has announced agam
and again that he favors the noml-
nation of Mr.. Hughes. Again, Sena-
tor Penrose is certainly one OF the
Old Guard leaders who has never
vet Joined the opposition to Mr..
Hughes. On the contrary, his friends
in Washington know that Senator
Penrose has only one purpose IN
mind, namely, the nomination OF a
man who will win.
Chairman Hilles, of the National
Committee, has never declared HIM
self, because of his official position,
hut there is nowhere authority for
the statement that he is opposing Mr..
Hughes. Secretary Reynolds, of the
Committee, is nowhere on reliable
record against Mr.. Hughes. Former
Governor Hadley, of Missouri, GER
tainly one of the most compelling
characters in the Republican party,
has declared himself for Justice
Hughes. Senator Lodge although a
lifelong friend of Colonel Roosevelt
and a colleague of Senator Weeks, q
candidate for nomination, is for Mr..
Hughes. Senator Gallinger, of New
Hampshire, and Senator Jones OF
Washington, representing opposite
geographical ends of this country,
have both declared for Mr.. Hughes.
It does not seem accurate therefore
to persist in the belief that veterans
of the Republican party are in con-
spiracy to defeat Mr.. Hughes. 1t
seems closer to the true situation to
believe that all these men will let
the convention declare for its honest
preference. 1t is the confident belief
in Washington that Mr.. Hughes will
accept the nomination, but it is
readily understood here that the posi-
ton of Mr.. Hitchcock, at Chicago, is
daily growing more difficult in view
of the uncertainty which only Mr..
Hughes can clear away. The Roose
velt sentiment which appears to b
stampeding Chicago week ahead oi
time is not carrying Washington of
it's feet.
Mr.. Roosevelt's theatrical tour o
the West at this moment is oecloud
ing the judgment and arousing tn
wild enthusiasm of many thousand
of his hearers, but very few of thos
hearers will have real votes III Il
convention. The action of the Gel
man-American Alliance in Chicag
Yesterday in notifying Chairman HI
les that the German-Amerieans WI
rot support Mr.. Roosevelt, found i
natural echo today in Colonel Roos
velt's savaged enunciation of "hyjh
nate" treason in Kansas City. =