Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-01
Hughes Case Puzzle in New
YORK Has Party Managers
Up in the Air
DENOMINATION MIGHT NOT HELP
Governors Enemies Say 1t Would Give
National Ticket Black Eye-Gamb-
ling Element Raises Huge Corruption
Fund to Oppose eovernor-Hear.t
Vote Plays Part.

concerning the probable ef1ects in New
York Of the denomination of Governor
Hughes, and that Mr. Taft Is frankly
puzzled over the situation. According
to certain of these reports, the renom-
ination of Hughes Is absolutely neces-
sary to the safety of the electoral
ticket in New York. According to
other reports, equally reliable, the re-
nomination would be a source of weak
ness to the electoral ticket, Just where
the exact truth Hes nobody seems to
know.
The decision reached at Oyster Bay,
after many conferences and trips thru
the, state by Chairman Hitchcock and
others, was that Hughes should be re-
nominated, as much for the eject OF
that denomination on certain middle
west states as for its effect on New
York. 1t was conceded at oyster Bay
that there was a wide divergence of
expert political opinion concerning the
probable effect of the denomination on
the electoral ticket in New York. but
the president finally decided that the
weight of the evidence was In favor
of Hughes, and SO announced. At the
same time, however, both the president
and Mr.. Taft are aware that the situa-
ton is badly mixed, and that there Is
no clear light thus far indicating what
should be done.
The arguments for and against
Hughes, have been summed up at Hot
Springs, and they are of considerable
interest to the entire country, since the
fate of the republican party In No
vember may hinge upon what New.
York is to do.
Utilities Law eothers.
The governor is to deliver the princi-
pal address at the opening of the Ohio
campaign, at Youngstown. Sept. 2, and
that address, and others which he will
make, will, his friends assert, do much
to clear up the situation and demon
strate that he is the man who is enti-
tled to the governorship for the next
two years. Mr.. Taft himself, while dis
posed to leave the settlement of the
question to New York, believes that
the denomination of Hughes would
help the presidential ticket. Arthur l.
sVorys. of Ohio, says that failure to re-
nominate Hughes would be a blunder.
and that it would imperil half a dozen
middle west states.
The men who are supporting Hughes
tell Mr.. Taft that much of the Hughes
opposition, that of race track men, sa-
loon men and other sporting elements
on whose toes he has trodden, is nor
nelly democratic, and would vote
against him and against Taft anyway.
They say further that the people who
are mailing the Hughes uproar are few
in number, but like the coyote are
MAILING big noise and that the great
bulk OF the voters who have no spec
ial interests at stake and want to see
honest and upright state government,
are for Hughes, altho saying very lit
tie about 1t.
All OF which may be strictly true, and
yet men equally we'll Informed as those
just quoted tell Mr.. Taft that the OPP
position to Hughes comes, not 50 much
from the sporting element as from
small business men i'm the strong up
state republican communities. These
men, it is claimed, or many of them,
at least are interested in small COR
porations which have been affected
adversely by the public utilities COM
mission law. These small corporations,
1t is pointed out, would never become
a public menace in any community, yet
their operations have been restricted
to such degree as to cause many of
them to lose money.
Hearst Vote Plays Part.
IL Is asserted. further, that Hughes
is not strong with the foreign vote,
which is largely for Taft, but which
does not split its ticket. 1t voting
against Hughes, the assertion is that
this element would also vote against
Taft.
a United States senator will be
elected in New York next winter, and
it is said that Hughes is weakest IN
the legislative districts which are CLOS
est. and that therefore his nomination
might mean the election OF a demo-
cra,tic senator ito succeed Plat Such
a nomination. 1t is pointed out, would
surely increase the size of the demo-
cratic campaign fund in the state.
Again, it is said that a business man
or an educator as gubernatorial nomi-
nee would be stronger than a lawyer,
owing to the popular impatlence IN
New York with lawyers and their ways
of rransacting public business. Fault
is also found with Hughes because OF
his failure to name a railroad man as
a member of the public service COM
mission. This is said to have weakened
him among railroad men generally, OF
whom there are 10000 who are voters
in the state.
There is much uncertainty as 10
what strength the Hearst ticket Will
develop in New York. 1t is claimed by
those opposing Hughes that if Tart
seems assured of carrying the state
by a. good margin, the Hisgen ticket
will poll heavy vote, as will also the
Hearst candidate for governor, % per
cent of the vote for the latter being
drawn from democrats. The renomlna-
ton of Hughes, say these men. would
diminish the Hearst vote for both
governor ynd president, thus playing
into the hands of the democrats.
Still, Hughes in the Lead.
Republicans opposing Hughes also
saw that Taft is $4,000 votes stronger
in New York than any republican who
might be nominated for governor, and
that a fight for the presidency not
complicated by the gubernatorial situ-
alton would undoubtedly give the state
to Taft
1T is also claimed that the rom ina
ton of Hughes would mean the raising
lof q corruption fund by AhA sporting