Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-05
SUPPORT OF OLD GUARD
MAY GO TO HUGHES IF
LOWDEV EFFORT FAILS
Party Leaders Resent
Charges Senator
Moses Made.
Claim That Steam, Roller
Operated Against Wood
Brings Denials.

BY the Associated Press
CHICAGO. June 5.-Charges of Sem
ator Moses of New Hampshire that
the republican national committee
has used steam roller methods in
deciding contests were denied by sew
eral committeeman at today's COM
mittee sessions
II. B. Mccoy, national committee
man from the Philippines, brought
up the Moses charges. and, declaring
he was a Wood supporter, denounced
Senator Moses statement as "ahso-
lutely unwarranted"
National Committeeman Highland
or west virginia, who also said he is
for Wood, made similar statements.
Neither Gen. Wood nor Col. William
c. Proctor. his campaign manager,
supports charges of Senator Moses of
New Hampshire that the national
committee has used steam roller
methods in it's contest decisions, Mr..
Mccoy declared.
Chairman Hays Defended.
Chairman Hays was defended by
National Committeeman McGraw of
Oklahoma. who said no one questioned
Mr.. Hays fairness, honesty and in
tegrity.
National Committeeman Kean of
New Jersey interjected that Gen.
Wood must be a great man, because
his friends can make SO many mis-
takes
That there has been no sinister or
personal motives" in the committees
decisions was asserted by National
Committeeman Stanley of Kansas, an
other Wood partisan.
The committee also was defended
by National Committeeman Hynicka
Of Ohio, who pointed out that the
committees decisions had been unan-
imouS except in five cases only. He
deplored Criticism from an outsider
who never heard the cases"
National Committeeman Work Of
Colorado also came to the commit
tees defense.
I'm surprised in these piping times
of prohibition to see such a statement
from a United States senator" he
said.
The roll of the committees de-
cisions to date was read by Secretary
Miller to show that. and National
Committeeman Parsons of New York
pointed out that in the disputed
Georgia case all district contests were
settled unanimously.
Mccoy Resents Charges.
In calling the committees atten-
tion to the Moses charges. Mr.. Mccoy.
said he resented them and added:
'The vote Of this committee on
every case has been on the rights and
justice. and not tfnged by any per-
sonal preference as to candidates
There is no basis for Senator Moses
statement. 1t is unwarranted and is
his own personal opinion and is not
the opinion either of Gen. Wood or
Col. Proctor"
Mccoy said he had been urging Cen
Woods nomination for more than 2
year and would continue his support
but deplored the Moses charge.
Chairman Hays did not join in the
discussion except to interject that
there appeared to be perfect har-
mony" in the committee.
No Reputation, Says Wood.
The probability that Wood leaders
will carry several delegate contests
to the credentials committee was an
nounced by Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood
today.
Il do not know what contests will
be appealed to the credentials COM
mittee." said Gen. Wood, but there
probably will be number of them
We are simply pursuing our right in
this respect"
Asked whether he considered his
statement last night on the action of
the national committee at Yesterdays
session as a reputation of the state
ment Of Senator Moses, Gen. Wood
said:
II am not repudiating anything.
Senator Moses issued his statement
and / issued mine. They stand as
separate statements Senator Moses
issued his statement for himself and
issued mine for myself, but 1 have
not repudiated in connection with
either statement"
Speaking of southern states, Gen.
Wood said:
Il think some method of procedure
should be definitely prescribed as to
the situation in the southern states.
1 believe by exercising a little care
and contests from the southern states
could be eliminated. What we are
after is strong representative re-
publican party. However, / under
this matter under consideration"
steam roller" talk hasn't appeared
in the preliminaries since the cele-
brated Roosevelt contest of 1912,
and it adds to the noise and confusion
in which the uninstructed delegate,
SO to speak. is having some difficulty
in locating the band wagon.
Comparison With 1916.
There are several elements which
tions that it is going to be regular
old-time convention. Four years ago
on pre-convention Saturday every
thing looked pretty tame. Charles
Evans Hughes was as good as norni-
mated. although it was not generally
known, and the atmosphere was
placid. Today there are a dozen little
whirling eddies each loaded with pos
sibilities of developing into cycloniC
proportions.
Many steadying influences which
| guided the preliminaries of four years
ago are absent now, and new elements
which make for confusion are pres
ent In the first place. the majority
! of the delegates are uninstructed, and
| talthough. as is generally the case
! q majority of them are anxious tC
/ board some bandWagon there does
not appear to be any. There are sew
eral vehicles ready to be rolled out
| but the horsepower doesn't seem to
/ be modified as yet and everybody
seems to look to the possibilities thai
! some of the horses may be dark.
! Moreover. the delegates who will
/ have to contribute the votes to nomi
nate the candidate seem to be having
/ little real information SO far as tc
I the starting point of the procession
! is concerned. although they are be
| ing invited in half dozen differen,
i directions.
! Then there is the absence of the