New-York tribune., 1907-04-20
THE GoVERYOR AT BUFFALO.

Governor Hughess Buffalo speech, addressed
to business men, was essentially commentator
of the policy OF regulation to business men. MS
oro,,ment was that if regulation checked the
abuses of unscrupulOus public service corporation
managers il would also stop the mouths "I dgl-
tators which, as we have already shoWh' is
DreciseIy- the wav General Bancroft president
of the Boston Elevated Railway Company says
regulation has worked In Massachusetts The
enemies of this country's prosperity, said Gov
ernOr Hughes are the men who by their abuse
Of privileges and their Indifference TO public
obligations furnish the grounds OF public dlscon-
tent. and the men who seize upon the public
discomfort as a basis for political agitation a
law which diminishes the opportunities of both
is in the real interest of business men.
The security of business is in the provision OF
adequate means for responsible government, III
holding officials strictly to account Tor thelr
performance of duty and in compliance on the
part of those in charge of our great business
enterprises with the obvious demands or Justice
The first two are the aims that underlie every
policy of Governor IIughess administration. Inc
last should be- and we believe daily is, becoming
more and more the purpose Of enlightened public
service managers.
The Governor was in i characteristic mood
when he warned his hearers and the people III
general against nerves in politics. lie was
elected as the representative Of sanity against
nerves" and he is the embodiment of cool level
headedness He has no nerves If he mad,
some of his hysterical supporters, in their eX-
citement over the trying situation mt Albany,
would have impelled him into the exhibition OF
homeopathic politics long before this. His "ap-
peal to the people would have been, as they
wanted il 10 be. an appeal 10 the peoples
nerves" His uneXcited appeal 10 the intelh-
gence and the conscience Of the people, not 10
their nerves" was n grave disappointment 10
the neuropathic among his friends" We were
assured that it would never do; that he would
never get the people that way; that instead OF
the threatened "deluge' he had proved pretty
poor imitation of n shower" He did not know
how to tingle the nerves" nor rouse the neuro-
paths
The fact is that Mr.. Hughes has taught some
thing SO nearly forgotten as 10 seem new. He
has taken up the despised art Of appealing to the
popular conscience and intelligence and he has
shown how wonderfully effective it IS. We had
become so used in this city and state TO hysteria
as the usual means Of popular appeals that we
were in danger Of forgetting that the people had
anything but nerves." We had gone through
municipal campaign that was pure hysteria, and
last years state campaign, which was full Of it,
Leaders Of the people like some we had in
New York, were springing up everywhere-for
example, Mr.. Moran, of B0stOn--and they were
the men who knew best how to play upon the
popular nerves" Politics was 10 madness
allied. so. therefore. IT is not at all surprising
that this thoughtful and Unconditional man at
Albany was told that he would have 10 20 10
school 10 the Morans If he would learn how to
appeal TO the people" for political life with
out hysteria the dream of an impractical
man. Nevertheless the Governor is demonstrat-
ing that he can do what he sets out 10 do with
out the wirepuling arts Of the old school OF pol
itcs or ;he nerve racking arts OF the new school
Of politics. and 10 none has the Governor with
his new methods. proved such n puzzle as 10 his
friends,