The sun., 1908-08-24
THE HONEST MAN AGAINST THE
BOSSES.

Interested in analyzing the various phases
Of the Hughes emotion there is much iliumi-
nation in this city and county-illumination
which may be interesting even after the
denomination OF the Governor begins 10
seem assured. Here is Hughes city and
county as thoroughly committed to the
Governor as Monroe and vastly more REQ
onoiled. Here are Republican and inde-
dependent newspapers insisting that he De
named. Here are the local politicians at
least passive and In public favorable 70 the
second term. firmly convinced that there
ls no other way out Of the situation.
Now with an absence Of any stimulated
hostility to the Governor, in default OF
Republican bosses or their newspapers at
tacking Hughes. there In in Binghamton
practical unanimity. Every one is Tor
Hughes save few OF the sporting geement.
Here 10 no talk about class dislike, there 10
precious little debate over the Governors
personality-always oonceding that q ma
jority OF the electorate would rather vote
for him than spend an evening at the club
In his company. In sum, there is here In
Broome the same general course Of opinion
noted in Genesee.
Tho inevitable conclusion one must draw
70 that large percentage Of the alleged
anti ghes sentiment 10 manufacturer
In In fact machine made.
Governor Hughes vetoed the Coney
Island five cent fare bill; therefore In New
York the Republicans ought to be against
him; therefore they are The Buffalo
politicians say this with conviction.
"The Governor refused to appoint rail-
road man on the Public Service Commission;
therefore the railroad men ought to be
hostile to him; therefore they are This
In the dlctlm Of the Albany politician.
Perhaps this sort OF talk does make some
anti Hughes sentiment where II. did not
exist before. But just as soon as you get
into community where the politicians are
not saooelerating" then all this sort OF
thing vanishes, then the railroad mon like
their Hughes quite az well as the farmers.
About the only real hostility left Is that OF
the racing men and their friends. and you
find Democrats indorsing where Republic
cans condemn.
Once there has been clearly set forth the
fact that Hughes the man. 30 far as his own
personality is concerned. Is not popular. is
regarded a. personihcation Of frozen vir-
tue rather than any moro genial qualities,
then the alleged ant-Hughes emotion
breaks down. The Governor Is indorsed
most strongly as public official by those
who admire him least as private citizen
wherever the machine politician is not In
the field fomenting class hatred. stirring up
bitterness. stimulating dislike. the anti
Hughes sentiment nears the minimum.
In Broome and Genasee counties. where
the boss Is inactive. there is mighty little
aggressive hostility to the Governor and an
overwhelming sentiment for him. In Che
mung and Albany, where Fassett and
Barnes are active. there is noise II not vol
ume to the opposition to the Governor.
In q word. take away the machine politician
and his mouthings and there is nothing at
all serious in the snt-Hughes sentiment;
hence there Ia no escape from the oonofu-
sion that this sentiment is machine made
In the main. -...
After all. one never gets very far away
from the national phase OF the Hughes
problem In the upstate regions. Broome
county, moreover. is no exception. The
first comment THE Suns correspondent
heard was case in point. One Of the most
prominent of., the, local Republicans. who
had t,st returned from q l75 mile drive
through Broome. Cortland apd Chenango
counties. had this TO say:
.The people / met are all for Hughes
insistently, unanimously for him. The only
man / met opposed TO him was o barber.
The Republican farmers In the section
travelled through are for Hughes. and
hold up the State ticket or the national
ticket out here
'why do you say the national tic<etr'
asked.
.IM tell you why was the prompt re-
sponse. 'The overwhelming sentiment here
Ia for Hughes. Now the men who are
supposed to be the spokesmen Of the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Taft-Woodruff. Fassett and
Barnes are going AROUND talking against
Hughes. 30 the people hold Roosevelt
and Taft responsible. because they know
q word from either would stop II. To
nominate Hughes will not inture the ma
taonal ticket. but to turn him down will
be to insure disaster. There is no mistake
about that
The second man who discussed the DO
litical situation was an old line Republican
who has enjoyed many party honors.
Il voted for Fremont, said he proudly.
sNow ! tell you Governor Hughes repre-
sents TO the people the man who is stand
ing for them against the politician; that 10
the way he is looked upon all over the
country. OF course the politicians are
against him. but isn't 1t q shameful thing
to see the Republican party in the hands
of two such men as Woodruff and Odella
odell IL big enough-it is other things that
he lacks-but Tim Is just too small for any
thing. ] tell you to turn Hughes down, for
these politicians to turn him down. will
have O bad effect all over the country.
Il can't help but injure the Republican
party. Everywhere Hughes Is known as
the man who is standing for honesty against
tho politicians as no one else does.'
Here. after ALL one might stop. The
opinions Just quoted are an epitome Of the
ups tate situation just as they are perfectly
representative OF many other comments
heard here In Binehamton. On all 'sides It
IL the view Of experienced and unprejudioed
Republicans that the rejection OF Hughes
will menace the Republican national ticket.
No less significant is the view that Hughes
IL the honest man standing against the
bosses. These two views supply the real
powder in the political magazine and they