Show I T R. R FEARED HUGHES AS GOLD BRICK i MOOSERS SAY Jersey Progressives Recall Teddy's Comment on Backing GOP Man Mon NEW YORK YORI July 22 22 Col Theodore Roosevelt once expressed the thought that Charles Evans Hughes would turn out to be another gold brick ac according according according ac- ac cording to Progressive State Chairman J. J A A. A H. H Hopkins of New Jersey who won the fight that wa was made last wee week at the meeting of the state slate committee to pass a resolution indorsing the candidacy candidacy candidacy can can- I of Hughes Hopkins fully tully expected a fight and prepared for it Part of his preparedness prepared prepared- ness program was to submit certain facts to Col Roosevelt In expectation of receiving from Oyster byster Bay something something something some some- thing to assuage the grief of the New Jersey Progressives who ass asserted that they felt aa all badly as did any others over the desertion of the party by the the- colonel In writing to Roosevelt Hopkins Hopkins Hopkins Hop Hop- kins went to the length of recalling a conversation he had with the former head of the Bull Moosers The letter was dated July 11 and anA Hopkins has not received an answer He read at the meeting his communication tion to the tho colonel part of which was You will recollect your stating tome to tome tome me that In the early part of the year yau refused to go on record as saying that you would decline the Progressive nomination if Hughes were nominated by the Republicans because you felt feIt this would in effect be a demand for his nomination and while you had in inI inadvertently in- in advertently sold the party a a. gold brick once you did not wish to run the risk I of doing loing it again You also told me that you were very much discouraged I over the general situation but that you Intended to back Hughes because you felt he was a little and perhaps some better than Wilson Vilson You clearly emphasized the fact that in view of your criticisms of or Wilson Wil Wil- Wilson son this statement was not a very strong one and you added the comment comment comment com com- ment that perhaps after all he will turn out to be another gold brick At Atthe Atthe Atthe the time you made these remarks to tome tome tome I II I me the draft of or your letter which you OU afterward sent to our national committee commit commit- tee was lying on the table before you and I must confess that I cannot though I r would like very much to do doBO doso doso so BO reconcile tl e strong of Hughes contained In your letter letter let let- ter with the above above- remarks Furthermore you will recollect layIng saying say lay ing to me that the Republican organization organIzation organ organ- at present was not only un unspeakably unspeakably un- un un- un rotten but much worse even than it was in 1912 and I told you that being of the same opinion I could not possibly see my way clear to advocating advocating advocating cating Hughes' Hughes election which would put these men back in power Since that time it has hM been repeatedly stated in the tho papers that the tho Progressives were turning boldly to Hughes' Hughes sup sup- p port rt These statements as ni you know and as tho the executive committee knows and as is shown by the actions of the several state organizations are absolutely absolutely untrue What action the tho Progressives will take talce individually provided of ot course they have no ticket of their own Isan Is la laan isan an open question but there has certainly certainly been nothing to Indicate that as a whole they are anxious to see Hughes elected or that they wish to return to power the burglars of 1912 Says Colonel Charged Desertion It appears from Hopkins Hopkins' letter that when the New Jersey state chairman saw the tho colonel after the disastrous Chicago convention Col Roosevelt advanced advanced advanced ad ad- ad- ad two excuses excuses for tor de tilling the Bull Moose 1 nomination and leaving the tho party flat One was that t t tV delegates must have understood the thereal thereal thereal real situation and that If anyone haa has misled them he had committed d a crime and tho the other was the proposition that the tho Progressives had deserted the colonel before ho deserted them Hopkins Hopkins Hopkins Hop Hop- kins in his letter taking laking up this latter latter latter lat lat- ter argument says Now in your our letter under acknowledgment acknowledgment answering the letter from Mr Lum which I to you you volunteered volunteered volunteered vol vol- the statement that you did not desert the Progressives but that they deserted you In 1914 This would seem to convey tho the distinct impression that even even wh when n the first steps were were taken in preparation for the 1916 convention you considered that the Progressives had already deserted their party part be because because be- be cause I naturally assume that you are not referring to yourself personally and that therefore the Intention from the start was to uso use the delegates at t Chicago for the tho purpose of securing the Republican nomination and that I if this failed they were wre t tn t b h own tr-own into the discard You will see however however how how- I ever that any such uno IIno of reasoning is directly and specifically contrary lJ I all the tho information both oral and written which was sent out by the national national national na na- na- na committee which specifically declared that there was no such tion I must differ from you however in your conclusion that the Progressives have deserted their party either in 1914 or at any other time Between the national campaigns of 1916 1912 there was no opportunity to estimate properly properly properly prop prop- erly their vote and many for personal reasons voted as they pleased Some it is true did not have the courage to Stand by but I cannot believe that you really mean to say that because everyman every everyman everyman man did not stick to the party this Justifies In the slightest degree the be beI betrayal betrayal be- be of the men who went to the Chicago convention and certainly indicated Indicated in In- In I by their action that the party part was still alive alle Who Committed the Crime As to the delegates at Chicago understanding understanding understanding un un- the situation Hopkins says You Yon have told toM me that whoever whop rave pava I our delegates to understand understand that no matter what the Republicans might do dowe dowe dowe we would have a Progressive ticket in inthe inthe inthe the field and that you would accept our nomination committed a a. crime I also entirely agree with you in feeling feeling feeling feel feel- ing that it is iR quite essential to fix the responsibility for this and In accordance accordance accordance accord accord- ance with your request I beg to you copies of certain letters from August August Aug Aug- 1915 up to the present time which I have exchanged with George W. W I Perkins |