| Show Justice Hughes v is Still Stilli i in fl Race Leaders Insist I His Totally Opposed Letter Does Not Change t the e Presidential Nomination Situation in the Opinion of Republican Party Managers I NEW YORK Feb IS Ju Hughes Hughes' letter blew the lid off uthe the I presidential situation But it didn't i It seems to be the same sameI I old situation After looking it over with a no critical eye ye yesterday the Republican leaders I decided that Justice Hughes Hughes' hes' hes attitude Is unchanged and th that t no one will know what he would do with a nomination nomination nomination nomi nomi- nation until one Is offered to him The opinion of a good many of the party managers manager is that Justice Hughes Hugh PS would accept it They hope he will yet they hope he will not It t was no I particular news for them to to read that hank tank II H. Hitchcock had been sounding out leaders and possible delegates re regarding regarding re- re garding the nomination of Justice Hughes That was made evident when the Republican national committee met metIn metin metin in Washington early in December Hitchcock was the busiest person In Washington while the committeemen were there No one learned to his en enI entire entire en- en I tire satisfaction Just what he was doIng doIng do- do Ing but it was the assertion of some of the leaders that Hitchcock was wasI eager to get back into politics on a B. big bigI I scale and that he be had made up his mind to start early to pick a win win- n ncr ner Hitchcock told many of his friends that the sentiment of the leaders and I the country seemed to favor Justice Hughes as the nominee of the Re Re- Re publicans That hat for Hitchcock was being almost garrulous Then It be beI became became be- be I came known more than a month ago that Hitchcock was bestirring himself where delegates were easiest to obtain i He lie went through the Taft campaign of 1908 and he knows as well as any anyone anyone i one how powerful a man may be with something like a hundred or so delegates delegates dele dele- gates pates at his beck and call It is a fair that he knows exactly how assumption advantageous it will be In Chicago in inJune inJune June une to have something one may call his own when the convention is bound i to face a deadlock Hitchcock's Denial i I Mr HitchcoCk Hitchcock denied yesterday that I he had been at the head of a movement movement move mOYE- ment to boom Justice Hughes Practically I I every everyone one else who w was s mentioned mentioned men men- in connection with the alleged I move to round up delegates in Virginia for Mr 11 Hughes dashed off denials of I everything in sight A few of the national national national na na- na- na party figures who happened to toI tobe tobe I be In the city declined to discuss the 1 Hughes matter at all Their private I I expression was mh Why dont don't they let well eno enough gh I IThe S alone The opinion of several of the most prominent political leaders available was that until Justice Hughes states unequivocally that no circumstance circumstanceS J S could arise which would cause him to accept a nomination for president he lie will ill be looked upon as the person most likely to run ot off with the Chicago nom nom- I Everything Is heading Justice Hughes' Hughes way Reports brought to the party leaders from the West the West and South are that sentiment there Is for Justice Hughes The leaders who controlled the Chicago Chicago Chi Chi- cago ago convention of 1912 do not want Justice Hughes They might really oppose him They look upon him as a j foe of political organization Many of ot otI I the smaller leaders do not exactly love him But the sentiment of the party is unquestionably it is asserted for his nomination and unless something develops to take him definitely and Ir Irrevocably Irrevocably Ir- Ir t out the situation will go on ont t around him See Smoking Out Cut Scheme It is stated by some party men that pa part of if the Hughes agitation which is being started all ail over the country is in reality part of a scheme of machine 5 leaders to smoke him out Two of ot the national leaders are authority for forthe forthe forthe the statement that certain managers are using Justice Hughes as a rallyIng rallying rallying rally rally- ing ground for delegates who when Hughes finally steps aside as those men believe he will may be swung into line Une for some one else or used to the best advantage in a tempest torn conI con con- I Governor Whitman announced two months ago that he was for Justice Hughes and it it was the assumption then that the governor realized that if it the delegates from his own state were for a man who might decline he he Governor Governor Governor Gov Gov- Whitman might stand a a. splendid I chance chance- of getting them himself DeI Despite Despite De De- De- De I spite all the semiofficial denials it Is accepted as a fact by Republicans that Governor Whitman has most ardent hopes of being selected as the presidential nominee The Hitchcock Allen controversy contro contro- vers versy coupled with the Hughes letter I and the Hitchcock denial caused busy comment among politicians all over the J city yesterday By all the political I leaders leaders' It is realized that the Hughes I situation In the Republican party is becoming one of the most remarkable I I and interesting in the history of presidential prest- prest I p politics |
