New-York tribune., 1918-02-17
Hays's S Election Ends Rule
OF Republican Old Guard
National Committee Now
Directed by Progressives-
Penrose Is Aligned With
Them to End Power Of
Crane

When John T. Adams, of Dubuque,
Iowa, was defeated in St. Louis last
Wednesday for the craftsmanship Of the
Republican National Committee the
deep laid plans Of the reaotionaries in
the National Committee for tie elimin-
alton of the Progressives from the Re-
publican national party councils went
down like house of cards.
While any state may send as its
representative to the National Com
mittee rcactionafy, it remains fact
that by the action at st. Louis last
week the management of the National
Committee and all its work in connec-
t'on with the Congressional campaign
next fall will be in the hands of the
new chairman of the committee, Will
II. Hays, Of Indiana, man of pro-
gressive instincts and practices.
The battle at the Planters Hotel in
st. Louis, decided on Wednesday last,
really began at the close of the Repub-
lican National Convention in Chicago
when Hughes was nominated for Presi-
dent.
Victory To Be Lasting
Unless all indications and develop
ments at st. Louis were misleading and
OF doubtful Interpretation, the real Re-
publicans in the National Committee
won victory the fruits of which prob
ably will be lasting and which will
mark the elimination of the influence
and potentiality of the reactionaries in
the committee.
The election of Hays indicates that
there will be an entirely new lineup
in the National Committee and that the
trend of things in the organization
hereafter will be along the more pro
gressive lines. Perhaps nothing sur
prsed the rcactonaries in the commit
tee more than the alignment of Senator
Boles Penrose, of Pennsylvania, with
the Progressives, with every indication
that the alignment will be permanent
Under ordinary circums tances, 10
classify Senator Penrose as a Progress
sive would furnish occasion for lest,
but 1t remains fact that Senator Pen
rose allied himself with the Progress
slves in fight when the issue was
perfectly clear, and that after the
smoke of battle cleared away and Hays
was chosen the Senator from Pennsvl-
yanla found himself in the camp with
Roosevelt, Hughes, Wilcox, Perkins
and the Indiana Republicans, who, since
1914, have made such an effectual peace
between warning factions in the Hoo
sler State that in one year they were
able to elect two United States Sem
ators and Republican Governor, be-
SIDES several Congressman, in state
that had looked pretty certain to- 60
democratic before the reorganization
under State Chairman Hays began.
Sought to Dust Crane
1t looked to the people on the inside
and outside at St. Louis that Senator
Penrose had made deliberate choice.
and that he had decided not only on
the elimination of ex-senator Murray
Crane as dominating factor in the
national committee, but that he had
made up his mind that post mortems
yield large dividends to a Republican
politician, and that he was against
having more post mortems.
AS stated more than once in The
Tribune last week, the reactonaries
went into the battle at St. Louis last
week with thirty-two votes out of a
POSSIBLE tifty-one pledged to John T.
Adams. 1t was not until Senator CAL
der read the now famous letter written
TO The Dubuque Telegraph Herald" by
John 1. Adams. putting himself on rec
crd as pro-German of the most pro-
nounced type, that Adams lost control
OF the situation. In spite of the dam
aging character of the exposure. the
rcactlonaries were determined to force
the election of Adams, and it REQUIRED
the strongest pressure to dissuade
them. 1t was not until the Adams men
we're convinced that Senator Calder
using the proxy of Herbert Parsons,
and George w. Perkins, representinp
the progressives, had "more of the same
sort" that they would use against
ADAMS If he remained candidate until
rollcal! that they surrendered.
In view of the fact that the action at
st. Louis probably means a turning
Point in the history of the COMMITTEES
to the betterment Of Republican nros,
poets, it mag be of interest to print the
lineup in the national committee down
to an hour or two before the rollcall
The table below gives the line-un as
checked up by half a dozen different
men OF prominence belonging to both
camps: ''''1
The Line-Up