The morning journal-courier., 1908-01-24
THE HUGHES ANNOUNCEMENT.

It was inevitable that Governor Hughes should sooner or later take notice of the efforts of his admirers, and those, who under cover of being admirers, were undertaking to "get even" with the Roosevelt administra- tion by booming him for the presiden- tial nomination at the hands of the Republican party, A much longer de- lay to either disclose his attitude to- wards what he must have known was a movement in his behalf or to per e1 rtorily forbid the m 9nti of his name in connection with the Republ- can presidential nomination would lave made him ridiculous. Whether he wants to be a presidential cAnd- date or not at heart has nothins 10 do with his personal dignity. His position as governor of the Empire State of New York and the crcIitabie record he has written as such made it impossible for him to evade some recognition of what was in the mouths of men.
 lr, this emergency Governrr Hughes has dcne not the unexpecje'l thing by any means, but he met the situation with a boise and self-restraint which. ,s we may be permitted .t say so, re- calls tie demands male upon the manhood of Grover Cleveland when he was governor of the great State of New York. He says in effect that If the Republicans of the State os Sew York wish to press him Cor the nom lnation for President they are at lib- erty to GO so provided they observe certain rules of the game as imposed by him. He is not prepared t. pose as man wlio is greater than the pres.- dency, ner is he willing t, be classi- fed with those who are re.tis to make any sacrifice demanded to clutch the -iionor. In other words he places the burden of responsibility where it be- longs, on the shoulders of those who have created 1t Is my desire" says he, that the sentiment of the party shall have the freest expression and that such action shall be taken as will be for it's best interests" One will search in vain in this statement of his condition of mind for proof of his anxious ambition, whether he is nov ed by 1t or not If he is crazy to be the nominee of his party he knows how effectively to conceal the fact: that is another way of saying that he knows how provided he is consumed by an ambition, to strike a popular chord at critical moment Most men who have studied his career will agree that the chances favor the be- lief that he is sincere in his attitude.
 Says Governor Hughes in addition attempt to influence the selection or vote of any delegates The State ad- ministration must continue to be inn partial and must not be tributary to any candidacy" Whether intentionally or not this statement draws the line distinctly between his notion of the attitude 8 receptive candidate for the nomination should take ana that of President Roosevelt. We have inten- tionally used the name of President Roosevelt ir place of that of Secretary Taft for the reason that we have not the slightest doubt that had things so shaped themselves the Hughes atti- tude would have been the Taft atti- tude. But the fact remains never theless that the Hughes atti- tude is a convincing attitude from the point of view of the many who, ad- miring President Roosevelt and rec ognizing in Secretary Taft a man ex- traordinarily we'll fitted for the pres idency, have feared from the first the chilling effect of the former under taking to name his own successor. "I have no interest" says Governor Hughes, fin any factional contro- versy and desire above all things that there shall be deliberation. honest ex- precision of the party will and har- mony of effort" In effect the Presi- dent says that he knows better than anyone else what the country needs at this crisis in its affairs and that Secretary Taft is the best equipped Republican to meet it Without for a moment taking exception to that view, it is impossible to close ones eyes to the fact that human nature is so con stituted that it resents that sort of superior knowledge. even when it is based on fact Whether Governor Hughes intended, to expose t'se inter ferins tendency of the President. rr not, with the free will of the Bepu uii- can masses. or to merely express his idea of how a particular candidacy should present itself to the country. the fact is that he has succeeded in putting the responsibility sauarely up