The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-12-05
Neither Boss Nor Machine.


E. Hughes stays in Albany. There is
no Republican party machine in New
York state at present writing Up to
year or two ago the machine was as
active as an automobile with a full
tank out to break the record. Now it
lies by the wayside like an auto that
has butted against a steel telegraph
pole. Governor Hughes is the steel
pole. There is no Republican boss in
New York state. Boss Platt is no
more. Boss Odell is no more. State
Chairman Woodruff, who might be
boss with some other man than
Hughes in the gubernatorial chair, is
not boss at all. For the first time in
many years New York state Republic
ans have neither boss nor machine.
Why not? Because the man at the
big fiat desk in the large open cham
Der at Albany steadfastly refuses to
attend to anybody's business but his
own. He is the governor and attends
to the governors business. His inter-
probation of the governors business
does not include partisanship of any
sort, does not include fixing up the
fences so that the party may win out
next year, does not include shystering
and chicanery, trickstering and traf-
ticking in patronage-none of those
things at all. Apparently he is not
concerned, officially at any rate, as to
whether New York city goes Republic
all Or Cattaraugus county carries the
whole ticket with increased majorities.
He does not care, officially speaking.
whether the Empire State is Repub-
lican or Populist next year. That is
none Of his business. His business is
to be governor Of New York and do
the work directly connected with that
Office until his term shall end.
Governor Hughes puts no ear to the
ground to hearken the rumbling of
popular issues Last winter state leg
1slatures east, west and south were
passing laws reducing the railroad pas
senger rate to 2 cents a mile The
people clamored for such laws. The
governors signed them. There seemed
to be general demand for an arbi-
trary regulation Of passenger rates,
and it was the most popular move
ment of recent times. New York's
legislative assembly passed a two cent
law. Governor Hughes vetoed it.
1.-THE Peoples Governor"
At first the people were shocked.
The utterly unexpected had happened.
Indignation soon gave way to curiosi-
ty. Hughes had become known as
1.-THE peoples governor" and he GER
tainly was not the corporations gov
ernor. He must have plausible rea-
sons for vetoing the BILL When the
people read the governors reasons,
submitted with his veto message,
showing the two sides of the ques-
ton, many of them applauded.
Rev. David G. Hughes, retired Bap-
list minister and father of the gov
ernor, says Charley was always a
good boy, "but neither prig nor a
Puritan" Nobody denies that the ma
ture Charley is making a good gov
ernor. But he is a new sort Of gov
ernor because he is not playing poll
tics. This extra ordinary abstention
from the game that is supposed to be a
prerogative of the New York governor
ship, with vague outlines of the White
House looming up in the immediate
future, perplexes the politicians. They
don't know where they are at. They
are afraid to say where they stand as
to the future Of Charles E. Hughes.
The people, however, are in no such
perplexity. Everywhere throughout
New York state you may hear people
mentioning" Hughes for the presi-
Dental nomination. And this recent
utterance of President Schurman of
Cornell in public address delivered
from the platform where Abraham
Lincoln made his first speech in the
east, the old Cooper Union in New
York city, expresses the situation:
IF the people want Governor Hughes
for higher service, it is best for them
to take the initiative and extend the
call. He would not accept an invita-
ton from the BOSSES"