The Washington times., 1916-02-17
THE ROOT MYSTERY IN N. Y.

! Elihu Root could not be elected
President. This truth ie as plain
to admirers who see clearly as to
bitterest enemies. Mr.. Root, what
ever his peculiar abilities, could not
be elected President, because the
American people as a majority would
not vote for him.
Republicans of all elements, there
fore, must wonder what the New
York State convention had in mind
yesterday when II was willing to
nail the party's colors 10 tho mast .
head for the nomination Of Mr..
Root. Only the action of Mr.. Root
himself prevented them from put
ting him in the field rs the candi-
date of the Empire State.
To have declared for Mr.. Root
could not have won him the nomi-
/ nation. 1t could not have brought
him within hailing distance Of It. 1t
could have and, by instantly arous-
ing the West to arms against The
East, it would have split the party
wide open again. What, then, is the
explanation of the impulse which,
except for Root himself, would have
swept the convention off its feet?
It is unthinkable that the New
York leaders would deliberately
choose defeat under Root in prefer
ence to victory under nominee
whom the American voters would
accept. So we may set down the
near-brainstorm Of the New York
convention as a political mystery OF
blindness when all the rest OF the
world sees.
But it is no more Of a mystery
than the strange action of Mr.. Root
himself the night before, when, after
planning, in the very fine speech
which he addressed to the nation, TO
make friendly reference to Repub-
licans of various shades OF con-
servatism and liberalism, he tud-
denly revised himself on the plat
form at the very moment when he
was delivering his appeal against
the blunders, the wrongs, and the
dangers of Mr.. Wilson and his
Democratic party. - ef
By all accounts Mr.. Root was GO
ing to say of the necessity Of firm
American policy in behalf of the
rights of the United States and OF
humanity:
, Others saw II and urged II; lMr. Gard
gSsS;; nf Mp nGase Rooseyelt SseSe u urged
, H. But their arguments and urgingi
were ascribed TO political motives; and
I the President described them with Q
sneer as being nervous and excited.
Why was. it that when Mr.. Roo
, had intended to speak such words
paying tribute to those who, regard
| less of faction, deserved credit fol
their efforts to put the Government
? on the right course-those ingenious
, and powerful efforts undertaken be
! fore SO many others Of the high
prominence in the Republican pan
.. even opened their lips-why was i
, that Mr.. Root, facing his audience
! failed, to make that remark, or II
. refer in any way to those men?
Why was it that after something
hushed his eloquence on that par
/, ticular subject, carefully thought ou
/ and graciously phrased in his pre-
, pared address, somebody undertook
: to stampede tie convention to MI
r Root for President?
n In the circles of politics, in tn
]. fields of general affairs, men ar
r talking more about those two Incl
;, dents than about the great speec
and the regular proceedings of tn
e convention.
! But in the precincts of the Wash
r ington Administration and in tn
: wide ranks of the Democratic part!
8 there is a lifting of gloom which fo
v months has been settling lower an
v growing thicker.
e In what spirit do the Repubica
q leaders Of New York propose to g
o forth to meet the Republicans of tn
n nation? 1t is time that>they locke
J. beyond the ends Of their noses.
IL coNSTANTINOPLE'S BACK DoO