The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-20

of politician. Jt is apparent that he
would not have lifted finger TO save
his public utilities bill. even If he could
have passed the bill with living coIors
! simply be sending for one Senator and
| telling that Senator if the bill was not
/ passed he would remove one janitor
| from the capitol building, under the
patronage of that particular Senator.
| This method of dealing with things
may be effective, but it certainly is not
| Rooscveltian.
The question may he asked as TO
whether the Public Utilities bill Is
| good, bad or Indifferent. That all de
pends upon whether the Governor of
| the State Of New York is good, bad or
indifferent. 1t NAV be said to be part
of fhc centraliZing process which is
| going on in he hands of the State. as
well as the nation. In general way
il may be said that the Public Utilities
bill la to tho State what tho Railway
rate agitation last winter was TO the
nation The railways get ? sop-at
least here in New York City-by
legalizati ton Of the InterborouGh mer-
ger, watered stock and all. II can
readily be seen that the Capitalization
of the power in the hands of the Gov
ernor might be a good thing in tho
be a bad thing in the hands of bad
Governor However, the people are call
ing out for relief so far rs the matter
Of the exactions of the railroads are
concerned, and if the Public Utilities
bill has no other effect, 1T may have
the effect of keeping them quiet while
it is being tried and experimental
with
May be Compromise Candidate.
This reticence on the part Of Mr.
Hughes NAV make him an available
dot
cnse il is necessary TO find man who
can act as Il sort of compromise be-
tween the conservatives and the radi-
Gals. For it is not always that the
man with the most pronounced views
is the most available candidate before
either the convention or the people
It will probably he recalled In this
connection that up to the time of the
holding of the ST Louis convention,
William Mckinley absolutely refused
to say whether he was for silver or for
gold. though he made number OF
forcefuI speeches for the gold standard,
after his nomination and before his
election Still if he had come out for
the gold standard prior to the holding
Of the convention be might not have
been available as a candidate. On the
other hand. IL he had come out for
free silver in all probability he would
not have been nominated. HIS very
silence appeared to help him. Mr
BRYAN has always advocated taking
the people into the confidence of a pub
lie man, but history is full of Illus,
trations where speech has proved
sjlver-silence golden. Men like Daniel
Webster, Henry Clay, Stephen A. Doug
lass, James g. Blaine, and many others
have undoubtedly talked themselves
out of nomination SIMPLY oy taxing
the American public into their eonhd,
ence. And If President Roosevelt had
not taken the American public into hls
confidence on the night of his triumph
ant election over Judge Alton B. Far.
ker. who can doubt but that he would
once again have been UNANIMOUSLY
| nominated as the choice of hls partyf
| For conditions are such that If he
could in honor accept nomination
| for another term ii would appear as
| though there would not be man in
| the Republican party powerful enough
| TO combat him. 1t is possible that Mr,
Roosevelt, too, may have a feeling that,
upon that occasion, speech was sllyer,
| where silence would have been golden,
but It is now too late-at least 10 pre-
vent being accused of double dealing
in the event Of the acceptance Of an"
other nomination.
Taft and Hughes.
Hughes is likely TO figure 10 3 greater
or a less extent in the puzZling PresI-
Dental possibilities which confront
The Republican party. Some of the
enthusiastic Taft boomers have even
suggested that Taft and Hughes would
prove a winning ticket. but if that man
exists who has dared to suggest
thing like that to the Governor, there
is at least no record of it. Under Ger
tain circumstances it is probable that
Mr.. Hughes could secure the New York
delegation, and with the New York
delegation behind him as its choice for
| President, no one can deny that he
would prove powsrtul ia"'o' "' '"e