The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-24
(By Charles Brooks smith.)

WASHINGTON, D. c., March "a
a visitor in Washington in these days
might be pardoned for wondering
whether the next presidential election
were only month and a half instead
of year and hal& away. The Dis
trict of Columbia casts no ballots. but
IL II is short on votes it is long on
speculation. Yet, though speculation
may run wild in advance of the event,
it often serves to reveal some highly
important conditions, and that is the
case today.
The talk of Justice Hughes as the
Republican nominee is so strong in
both the conservative and radical
wings of the party, that If he were not
on the bench his nomination could
apparently be set down as assured.
But he is on the bench, and that,
paradoxically, is both the chief cause
of doubt and indirectly the main rea-
son for his availability. For being
on the bench in 1912, he took no side
whatever in the Republican quarrel
and made no enemies who would have
to swallow their attacks on him.
The conservatives would like Hughes
because, although he proved too pro-
gressive for William Barnes at AL
bany he would, by the same token,
unite the party. More radical Repub-
licans from the west, who are not a
little disturbed at the prominent men
ton of certain conservative candi-
dates. and fear lest the party be again
delivered to the interests recall the
Immensely favorable impression. which
Hughes made when he turned the
west for Taft in 1908. They fear
others, but not Hughes, and add that
70 believer the west to him would
be easy. There might be another
rxSr-<ll g. lot nf ~ hut
4 far as concerns support for the Re-
publican nomination, they are I'M
doubtedly giving the fact.
1t is known that the franker of the
favorite sons already in the field are
ready in private to admit that Hughes
is the only man for whom there Is
general call. Whether Hughes would
laccept If drafted at the convention.
they do not know, nor whether If the
movement for him gains Roadway in
Shc meantime he will emphatically
dali halt to it, or resign from the
bsnch that he may, take advantage OF
it without embarrassment. His
scrupulous regard for judicial pro-
priety and his rugged ability to say
mo" II that seems his highest duty,
are universally recognized. Mean
time. the booms and boomlets are be-
ing nursed on the. theory, as one
veteran has expressed it, that many
a pot has been won on a pair of
deuces," and that the more favorite
SONS in the field, the more will it
testify to the restored vigor OF the
party.
The talk about the country of Mr.
Taft is not ignored at Washington
but while recognized as evidence of
his greatly increased personal popu-
larfty, and therefore as a valuable
party asset, It is discounted as Of
lite or no practical Importance IN
helping to his own nomination. The
reason is simple and must be admitted
logical. Mr.. Roosevelt is accepted as
caerishinB an undying and bitter
hatred of his successor and former
friend. but as being also so holly OPP
posed to Wilson and Bryan that in
the present situation he would support
In 1916 almost any Republican except
waned, but Washington knows his
powers TO well to suppose that it is
at an end or that, under favoring cir
cunnstences, itSmay not again become
very great. For the Republican con-
yention to put up nominee whom
Roosevelt would unquestionably at
tack would endanger the seats of the
representatives and senators running
on the same ticket. and they would
almost certainly be enough to prevent
Taft's nomination should it be seri-
ously considered. which Is very far
from being the case at this time.
An early crop of politics in practic-
ally every state is the expectation