The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-09-21
A MAN OF UNBENDING RECTITUDE


n
tItude in any situation In which he
may be placed In invested with the
authority OF tho presidency. Neither
tho power Of wealth nor the pressure
OF tho poDulace nor labOr-unlon
threats will Bwerye him from fol-
lowing the dictates OF his clear con
victlonB.
Only yesterday We spoke OF the
panied disappointment with which
Mr. Hughes's friends and admirers
have been reading his campaign
speeches. II would be absurd 10 CON
tend that this feeling will at once
disappear, in consequence Of his ut
terance of last night. But on the
other hand 1t ia only Just TO say that
the Nashville speech, coupled with
his incorporating refusal to soothe
Gcrman-American Busceptibilities at
ST. Louis. must compel n revision OF
Judgment. His campaign has not
been an Impressive one: Il has fallen
TAR short Of what 1t might have been.
But In the light OF what Mr.. Hughes
has now done. both in relation to
the labor vote and to the German
American vote, the most damaging
criticism upon his campaign falls to
the ground completely. His bearing
In regard to the subject OF Germany
has been widely ascrlbed to fear OF
the GermanAmerlcan or desire to
retain their favor. We could wish
that II had been far other than II
has been; we could wish that, even
at the last. he had chosen some bet
ter way of confutlng that view than
by blanket endorsement OF Colonel
Rooseyelt's speech. with all It's crudi-
ties. and It's personal abuse or the
president. But confute 1t he has No
longer will any German-American
organ claim him as an ally: no longer
will any reasonable or unbiased per-
son charge him with suppression OF
his convictions for the sake OF con
ciliatlng the "hyphenated" voter. The
man that stood before the st. Louis
COMMUNICATIONS as he did a few
days ago. the man that last night at
Nashville calmly threw down his gage
on the issue Of labor-union domino
ton, Is not man against whom the
charge OF "pussyfootlng" can here
nfter be made with any prospect Of
success.
AS for the issue which Mr..
Hughes's declaration at Nashville
tends to bring to the front of the
political stage. II remains to be seen
whether 1t will actually play an i'm
portant part in the campaign. What
other prominent Republicans will do
about 1t; what, il any. will be the
disposition Of the campaign managers
in relation to it; whether Mr.. Hughes
himself viii decide TO keep II to the
front-all these things are at the
present moment doubtful. There are
great potentialttIes in the issue. but
they may remain undeveloped. And
there will. in any case, remain, in
addition to the personal attributes OF
the candidates. other questions OF
prime Importance. especially two. On
the question of our relations with
Mexico. here is sharp conformation
OF the opposing sides. certainly az re-
CARDS the past probably as regards
the future. on the tariff, the con-
trast is not so pronounced as It has
been in former campaigns or as 1t
would be in this but for Mr.. Wilson s
concessions to prOtectionism; vet
clearly the Republican side stands for
protection az a principle and the
Democratic side against II. These
two great elements In the contest will
weigh powerfully In the scales with
voters who are as yet undecided, a
multitude probably far surprising In
number what has been known at the
corresponding stage of any former
presidential campaign. But, while
the force Of these and other elements
in the contest remain unimpaired, 1t
remains true that in one most i'm
portant respect the campaign will
henceforth, in virtue of Mr.. Hughes's
declaration at Nashville. take on a
new. and more inspiring, character.
acter.