New-York tribune., 1908-01-23
THE GOVERNORS LETTER.

Tho Governors announcement regarding his
candidacy. which was made public yesterday
morning was not unexpected by those VINO eh-
iov his confidence or understood MS aluluue-
So far as it expresses his Willingness 10 DE d
candidate il merely amplitieS what he SAID oe-
fore and clarifies the situation so lar as 1t
promises full statement of his position upon
the larger questions that are pelore the nalioh
il RESPONDS to legitimate demand, not only
from the Republicans of this state, but from
such Republicans throughout the country as
may he interested in his candidacy. Governor
Hughes has recognized for some time, as every
one else has recognized, the fairness OF Tue
general request that he declare ms poiicles upon
matters regarding which the reSUlctlon Oh HIS
public activities TO purely state affairs has left
the people in the dark.
The Governors letter is simple, dlSnlHeu anu
excellent in taste and temper, contrasting
sharply with the foolish outgivings OF some seh-
obtrusive spokesmen, whose i'll advised and un-
representative utterances hitherto must often
have severely irked him, but whose activities
he could not check, owing to the unusual ana
detached posftion which he has taken regard
ing the campaign in his behalf. He lifts MS
candidacy to an altogether different plane from
that on which they were trying TO conduct It.
They found In his popularity handy means
for carving on factiOnal tight The Governor
will have nothing of facuonallsm. / nave no
interest" he writes I'm any facnonal coh-
''troversy and desire, above ali thlngs' Ila'
there shall be deliberation, honest expression
sof the party will and harmony Of effort mat
is a fair rebuke to the violent spirits VINO nave
heen rending the air with deGunciatons of the
Governors enemies" The man who prefers
another candidate to him is not IN the GOV
ernor's mind, as he was in the mlnds OF HIS
overzealous friends, an enemy, to be pun
ishedr or driven out Of public life The Gov
ernor wants simply an honest and deliberate
EXPRESSION of the party will. If some other Is
nreferred to himself he will be content He has
no desire to force verdict. Furthermore, his
letter imples a recognition Of the reaS0na pie
mass of the county committees delay in act
ing rpon his candidacy. Those members or the
committee whose confidence in Mr.. Hughes,
ipSnired bv his excellent record as Governor
and the fine quality of his public utterances leo
them TO demand immediate action ignored Tue
feeling which doubtless moved many Of the
delegates. that the question was one OF policies
at least as much as of men. and the Governor
bv his Dromise to make known his views upon
| national issues recognizes the justice OF this
reason. at least, for "deliberation.'
The letter Will undoubtedly add considerable
| imneTus TO the movement in this state to sup
| mort Mr. Hughes at Chicago His manly stahd
against factionalism and his declaration for the
/ free and unimpaired right Of every Repubican
10 decide for himself without fear or favor upon
J his candidate for the Republican nomination
! q right which some of Mr.. HugheSs V0ciferous
| friends seemed prepared TO deny-w1ll appeal
! strongly to the people while the reiterated
nledce that the campaign shall in no way be
nermitted to involve him in the arrangements
! of practical politics will preserve for him IN
this state the unusual degree of popular con-
! fdance which he has always enjoyed. The peo-
nle will await with interest his exposition or
his views on national questions HIS admins
/ tration has made him strong and important
| figure in his own state. To what extent II mas
! taken the eve of the nation at large 1t is hard
| 10 tell In the wider field he comes into COM
na+ition with one who has long been q ma
! tional character, being the most conspicuous
| member of an extraordinarily popular admin
! istration. Mr. Taft bulks SO large in the coun-
| trv's eve that New Workers who know MI
! Hughes SO well and admire him so much as the
| chief of our local arena cannot help WONDER
! ing how he strikes the nation, now that he Is
| sousrelv placed beside more widely known
| and already imposing figure