The Washington herald., 1908-02-01
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY ]. 1905.
The Message and a speech.

The thoughtful citizen has an excellent
opportunity this morning to compare the
mental and political attitudes Of two
notable leaders of the Republican party
II is a comparison that viii disclose, We
think the main line of cleavage between
the radical and conservative wings OF
that party though Gov. Hughes cannot
be accurately classed as a ''reactionary." 3"
But his address before the Republican
Club shows clearly enough that he can
not travel the whole length Of the Roose-
veltian road. and by no stretch OF the
Imagination could we conceive the sigma
ture Charles +. Hughes at the bottom
Of the remarkable message read in Con-
gress yesterday. one is the militant de-
hance Of q crusader. the other the calm
measured analysis of a judicial mind one
q piercing blast on the anti-cOrporatiou
trumpet. the other a bald definition OF
principles
President RooseveIts message is at Bot-
tom a document in furtheranee of the
Rooseveltian propaganda. His friends Will
be aroused TO new enthusiasm by 1t: his
enemies to fresh and bitterer antagonfsm.
His recommendations for labor and corpo-
ration legislation are the mere text for a
tTenchant defense of the Roosevelt poll
cies against those who have banded to-
gether 10 work for a reaction" Just
why Mr.. Roosevelt should have chosen
this particular season for a defensive Ut
terance we are not informed. but it is
an easy guess that the wicked viii scent
political -lIsOn. and perhaps rightly.
For it is d7.btless true that although the
President justifies his Campaign against
privilege by both economic and ethical
motives, he is not blind to the political
and personal motive, so that possibly a
connection may be noted between his
fevered pleading for immediate legislation
affecting wage earners and the desirable
ity Of replenishing the campaign assets
Of his party and his favorite Presidential
candidate. The merits of this legislation
we shall discuss at some future time. It
may be noted, however, that the Roose-
veltian railroad programme has under.
gone some expansion since last Decem-
Der, and now embraces further control
over rates, as we'll as over the physical
of a radical character, though admittedly
logical developments from the principle
of governmental regulation as now ap-
piled in Federal legislation
Gov Hughes accepts so much OF the
Roosevelt policies as has been enacted
into legislation. His cautious discussion
Of the trust and railroad problems. how
ever shows little sympathy with the ex-
tensiye development of Federal control
over Interstate corporations that has been
proposed by Mr. Roosevelt. He would
deal with the iudusuial-corporatio prob
lem by means of the criminal law solely.
method quite different from the regu-
la-ive plan. Moreover. he differs radically
from the President on the question of i'm
prisonment for corporation offenders as
against the imposition of fines, and there
ara sentences in the message which sound
severely critical of the governors view.
Gov. Hughes, we rejoice 70 see. comes
out squarely for tariff revision, thus strik-
ing down the hopes OF the standpatters
that he would afford them "a raIlving
point for opposition 10 the Taft candidacy.
The governors expression on this issue
differs from that of Taft only in adopt
ing the idea Of a tariff commission as a
preliminary 10 revision. II is remarkable
that Mr., Hughes should have ignored
the currency question, for that would
have afforded him an mrivaIed opportu-
nifty for genuine party leadership where
it is badly needed.
That Gov Hughes relatively moderate
views on national issues viii meet with
considerable response from within his
own party we do not question, but they
won't set the Western prairies On fire.
Mr., Roosevelts slashing message. we
fear VIII take the wind out of Gov.
Hughes sails The crusader has pointed
the way his party must follow. It is the
RCoseveltian road.