The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-01-08
WAS PLANNING
TO RUN IN 1920
Roosevelt Would Have Been
Presidential Nominee,
| Friends Say
WAS CONFIDENT OF
/ RECOVERING HEALTH
Connecticut Member of Republican Ma
tional Committee Said to Have Built
Up Quietly Strong Organization to
Support Late Ex-President.


NEW YORK, Jan. S.-If he had |
lived and retained his bodily vigor Col. |
Theodore Roosevelt would have been
| the Republican nominee for President
Fin 1920, in the opinion not only of many
| of his friends but of many of his en-
emies as well.
1t may be stated on the highest au-
| thority that the Colonel had no inten-
tion of issuing a statement declaring
himself out of consideration, as was as
lserted in story from Washington.
Quite the contrary, as recently as last
| Friday he had long talk with John t.
King, member of the Republican ma
tional committee from Connecticut, and
at that time went over matters bearing
upon the next presidential campaign.
At the time of Mr.. Kings visit the
Colonel said that aside from the pain
lcaused by the rheuma tsm he was feel
ing in. good shape. He confidently ex-
pected to conquer that trouble within
a short time, and was ready to lead the
Republican party in 1920.
at was soon after the election of
president Wilson in 1916 that a group
lof Republican leaders met to discuss
the future of the party and to lay plans
for 1920. This group decided that be-
.ause of the international complied
, tions that had arisen as a result of the
European war Col Roosevelt was the
! Imam TO lead At that time John T.
King, who had long been an admirer
of the Colonel, undertook to lead the
fight for him. Since that time he has
Ibeen one of the Colonel's closest politi-
cal advisers.
I Working quietly, Mr.. King has built
n lup an organization for the nomination
y of the Colonel which his friends assert
would have insured his nomination be
lvond doubt Political leaders were ask
ing last night whether Mr.. King woul'
remain in the game and whether tn,
, Organization which he had constructed
= would be preserved intact for some
other man Friends of Mr.. King sa,
that for long time he has wished t.
/ retire from political work and get bacl
to his business.
Late in December. 1916, occurred tn,
meeting of the executive committee o
the national committee, at which tim
; John T. Adams of Iowa. was made vice
! chairman of the national committee. |
, Twas IHeH lhdl OtOISt w I CIhAitSt AN
! erett Colby of New Jersey and othe
'e LEADERS who had been influential on tn
Progressive movement issued protes
= against the reversion of the organiza
ie ton back to cold Guard'' control
Although nothing developed on til
E surface during the year Mr.. King wa
u ,xecedingly busy. Early in 1918 Wi
e. liam R. Wilcox resigned as nationa
i 1 Il. o,,l ha
1t who should succeed him. Mr. King wa
y mentioned for the place. He realized
O. however. that to hold this post woul
make it impossible to continue his pei
IN sonal work for the Colonel He too
n himself out of the race and Joined /
IN | the movement led by Mr.. Perkins an
to others to elect viii H. HAYS of Indian;
~ lit was the Roosevelt influence AT tn
as St. Louis meeting of the national COZ;
ed mittee that finally compelled the Gle,
IN tion of Mr. Hays.
At that very time. when the nation;
es committee was in session, the Colon,
r. was in the Roosevelt hospital in tn
a city, suffering from an affection of h
. ear. Long before he was released frol
~ confinement, however, he was able I
% see Mr.. King and other political lea'
8, ers. Men prominent in Republica
IT. circles in various parts of the countr
ii who happened TO be in New Ior
talked with him there.
ry After that illness some of the Coli
MT mel s friends expressed the feeling tha
ng he had lost some of his old stamin
he tBut the Colonel himself insisted that
IT. would be able TO carry out the pr
mt gramme. 1t is not unlikely that tt
,r | strain mt on him hy he many tall
he with political leaders and a treme
81 dous correspondence placed on him
nd burden that was beyond his strengt
10,
lie. Hope Is never dlsmayed by lmprobab