Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-01-09
or the national guard And, one more
question, is all this patriotic service 3.
HUGHES. The SPHINX.


) What a curious ''creetur" this man
Hughes is, when considered as presi-
Dental candidate! Why, he says moth
ing at all. He doesn't appear one bit
clustered because he is talked of for this
high Office. He goes right along on his
present job-that OF chief executive OF
New York-and allows that its duties are
good and plenty enough for him to dis
charge without mixing up with other
things. He refuses invitations to speak
in other states, which are always mere
covers for footing ones own horn. He
won't even say directly that he is or will
be in the race. When it is mentioned he
side-steps the question, not in cowardly
way, but with seeming sincerity. All he
has yet said or done is to give his friends
to understand that he won't raise finger
to secure the nomination, but il it comes
to him he will accept it with some reluc-
lance, and if elected will regard himself
And nobody as yet has said that Hughes
is coy. Even those who prefer some 9th
er candidate give him credit for sincerity
in this matter. Hughes is regarded as
only passive candidate, at best.
Now all this is very singular. Has the
presidency become thing SO little to be
desired-the presidency that Henry Clay,
and Daniel Webster, and James G. Blaine
and other great men have worked for so
nightly, and the loss of which has sent
good men to early graves-that Charles
E. Hughes of New York fairly seeks to
dodge it No one believes that. 1t
seems rather to be characteristic Of the
man. He is not a self-seeker. He has
to judge from his words and his acts
ideals in government and in the execu-
ton of government SO lofty that their at
tainment means a task and burden SO
great that he shrinks from it, and only q
firm, sincere, actual demand from the
people will command him. In the forming
of this demand, he himself will have no
part. Se.f-seeking for Office necessarily
incurs obligations, and these he will not
incur or recognize. He will only hold
office in way that leaves him absolutely
free and unfettered to discharge his duty
toward the whole people, with special
consideration to none.
1t is not believed that Hughes has a
personal liking for Office holding.
Therefore his ideals, his principles and
his practices go hand in hand with his
desires. There would be no glory to him
in victory, and no disappointment in de-
feat. A curious "creetur," this Hughes.
Yet we rather like the man. Perhaps he
could do the United States a world of
good just now, entertaining just the
views he does.
Whether Hughes will be the nominee
or not it is now too early to say. The
field is all cut up, with "favorite sons"
holding what may be the balance of pow
er. Taft probably leads at present, and a
well-ordered machine is working in his
behalf. Hughes has and will have no
machine at his command. Whether there
will yet be organization in his behalf
and steps taken to utilize the quite strong
sentiment in his favor in way that will
count when delegates are chosen does not
even yet appear. If not, probably it will
drift out of sight before the active efforts
of other candidates. II otherwise, it
may yield results quite surprising in the
end.