The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-31
THE HUGHES PROBLEM.

AS near as can be gathered from the
latest reports, the president, Mr..
Hitchcock, Mr.. Sherman and Timothy
Woodruff have decided there is no safe
way to sidetrack Hughes for the guber-
Material nomination in New York. so
they announce with a show of conscious
virtue that they will permit the state
convention 10 make its own choice; the
postscript. however, indicates that
Hughes would better be that choice
Three weeks ago, Walter Wellman,
Washington correspondent of the Chi
cago Record-Herald, who has been the
Intimate of the administration, wrote
that Roosevelt could scarcely mention
Hughes in polite language, because the
governor had upset all the plans laid
for the program in New York Since
then the daily bulletins have been
changing in tone gradually until now
il is made to appear that Hughes has
been Roosevelt's choice for the place all
along. but that he has felt timid about
saying so for fear somebody would sus-
pect him of meddling in state affairs.
Too bad, isn't il. that Roosevelt
should be such shy. retiring man, so
10th to express himself about New York
politics, so considerate of the feelings
of others? 1t will be noticed. however,
that every one Of the numerous con-
ferences on the nomination has been
held at Oyster Bay. and that the con-
what the president thinks when they
come away from the seat of power
The trouble with Hughes is that he
has gone ahead and executed the great
est reforms inaugurated in American
public affairs for a generation without
word of boasting, not a phrase about
my policies" no fireworks or mega
phones or little circle Of worshipers.
He has had no high-soundins epigrams
about what he is going TO do or las
done-he has just gone ahead and done
business effectively. quietly and in a
way 20 mark the contrast between his
style and Roosevelt's. He has won q
place i'm the esteem, if not the affec-
ton, of a great many people outside of
his own party and his own state. He
was certainly the strongest aspirant for
the presidential nomination. and his
success is a constant affront TO Roose-
welt and his kitchen cabinet. If they
could efface Hughes from the map
without risking the loss of New York
- wouldn't take them ten minutes to
do it.
1t happens. in this emergency. that
the governor OF New York represents
to the genuine reformers within the
Republican party all that they deem
admirable in a public character. To
defeat hin for denomination is to alien
ate this strong and independent ele-
ment, not only in New York. but every
where that Hughes is known. II
Hughes were beaten. the last chance
would be gone of securing the sup
port of the Republicans who still be-
lieve the Republican party lis really
committed to the reform of the tar
IN. the restraint of monopolies and other
moral movements which furnish the
pdrstilouHt isSueS VI TIC e.ihpdiSH-
On the other hand. Hughes is OBJ
noxious to New York city and TO all
the interests which have heretofore
furnished most of the funds for Re-
publican campaigns in the state. The
race track gamblers, the old crowd of
the insurance companies. who were
driven out of power by Hughes. the
criminal element of the city which OBJ
jects to his enforcement of the laws as
he finds them--alI these powerful in