The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-27

former Lieutenant-Governor Woodruff
and the other practical politicians mean
when they say that Hughes will not run
as the candidate of a faction. Hughes
Is not foolish enough to destroy himself
by running unless he is pretty sure Of
winning. He would not accept the nom
ination last fall for the Mayoralty at
the time that WINS was named-at a
time when, in fact, 1t looked as though
he would have as good a chance as
either Hearst or Mcclellan provided he
would enter the race. The refusal to
run last fall shows that Hughes is not
gambler in politics-that he is not
dldate-that he wants ''sure thing"
Things have been SO badly managed
all along the line that it cannot be
said, as Senator Platt said u number Of
years ago, 'tAny yellow dog can be
elected this year. - Not that Charles
E. Hughes is any kind of a man to
head "yellow dog ticket He will
come to the fight backed, it is true, by
the Platt-Odell combine of the Repub-
time when even men like Platt and
Odell, tarred by the hfe-insurance stick
as they are, are crying out for him to
save them from the specter of Hearst
1t is true that Hughes has gone TO the
Land of the Midnight Sun-that he Is
still in the extreme north of Europe,
where not even the metropolitan news
paper man can find him He docs not
want to be seen, and he does not intend
TO be seen until the situations have
rounded into form. Then, If he thinks
that he can defeat Hearst, he will ac-
cept the cry from the Republican ma
chine men of the State TO save them-if
he concludes that Hearst stands the
better chance of winning, he will refuse
to jeopardize his reputation and his
career by running for Governor this
gins out, the Republicans might find
themselves as hard pushed for a can
didate as they were last fall, and they
might even be forced to accent WINS,
the man who made the uphill race for
Mayor last fall.
One Month to Wait.
The convention occurs at Buffalo lust
a month from today, and many things
may happen in month. In the first
place, Jerome may give the political
dry bones of the State a shaking up,
and, while he cannot change the face
of the political map Of the State of
New York over night, he can make
things so lively that it will keep every.
body guessing Tor the next month In
fact, some of Jerome's friends, remem-
bering that he has always been elected
by the independents after being in-
dorsed by the Republicans, are serious
ly suggesting that Jerome ought to be
nominated by the Democratic regulars
and by the Republican regulars, max
ing the fight a square fight of Jerome
against Hearst, with Jerome receiving
the support Of all the parties except
the Independence league Such a con
dition of affairs, which is, of course,
not likely to happen, might make the
people of the State angry, because il
would prove what the people have sus-
peeted all along-that the old party
machines have been working together
for a division of the snoils of office,
valuable franchises, contracts, and that
there is something after all in the
g agreement, so often hinted at, namely,
to turn New York City over to Tam
many Hall and the Democratic machine
in return for New York State being
turned over to the Republican machine
And if the people of the State and city
of New York became aware of the ex-
istence Of a political trust OF this kind
they might fy TO the arms Of Hearst as
an independent candidate in sheer des
peratICn.