Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-04
FRANK STUART'S VIEWS,
Frank Q. Stuart in Des Nome!

Frank Q, Stuart in Des Moines
Register.l
The nominations OF both Will
son and Hughes viii he entirely salts
factory to the railroads. the New York
Stock exchange, The big banking inter-
ests and the war munitions manSfac-
turers: and they and the allied corpo-
rate interests are the forces that count
in political nomin It;ons these days. The
common voter, especially the rural
voter. has nothing to do il politics ex-
cept to get excited during the cam
paign, and then go to the polls and
vote as directed by the officeholders or
the officeseekers. Easiest thing in the
world: no mental effort. no Individual
responsibility whatever.
In their economic views. in their
social. commercial and Industrial
syrnpathies. there is practi ,ally no diff
ference between Wilson and Hughes
They In fact ana in truth stand for the
same things, exactly the same things.
II you do not know what those things
are. read the New York newspapers
carefully. especially the financial col
umns, between elections. Eut there will
be plenty OF pretended differences he
tween them by the time the conven-
sions roll round. Tn, political bosses
and expert platform writers will see
to that all right. 80
BY the doings OF the democratic con-
vention at Baltimore thousands Of
democrats were driven out Of that
party. more thousands than the party
leaders even yet imagine. Nearly ali
OF them voted for Roosevelt, and in
doing SO assisted materially in de-
feating Taft and electiug Wilson.
When it became apparent that The
progressive party would have to give
up the ghost. these Independent. JET
tersonian democrats, hoping tina:
Wilson was sincere In his declarations
against mil!tarism. dollar diplomacy.
the trusts, and 80 forth. turned in and
supported the Wilson administration
ana the democratic state tickets quite
generally. But now what will they
do? In view Of Mr.. Wilson's change
OF front on many Of the more m
portant declarations in his party's
platform. In view Of his active as
distance in saddling upon the people a
> per cent raise In tae already ex-
tortionate rates that the railways
were exacsing from the pubIic, in
view Of the recently published Nc
I. H.,
not to revert to the slcxening efYu-
sion Of Wilson himself TO NY Dear
Joiine" or to his scholastic criticisms
of Jefferson and Jackson, In view in
short of the clearer understanding
that the democrats generally must
now have OF Mr.. Wilson's character
principles, motives and policies as a
public man, what will the indcoend-
Il ~ 10. az
ocrats do? The Lord only anows. But
there is one thing certain. in casting
their votes. or in refraining from yot-
ing at all. they will endeavor to salts
fly their own individual consciences: fer
generally speaking they are men who
have the courage of their Convictions
In the political chess game as It
now presents itself Wilson has the
one important advantage that in time
of war clouds the people are Inclined
to support the administration in
power. But Hughes in addition to
his other strong points has an adj
vantage In position" There is a
fool notion prevalent among the
people that there is something sacred
about a presiding Judge even tho that
judge be live wire politician and
candidate for the same or some other
position. 1t is not required OF him that
he shall declare himself on any pub
lie question. All he need do to COM
mand the greatest confidence and
strongest support Is to :ook wise and
saw wood. This Hughes appears to be
doing with effect.
There is one other important con-
sideration that must not be lost
sight of. The interests really want
Hughes on the supreme bench more
than they want him IN the p.esi-
Dental chair Knowing Wilson to be
perfectly safe and sane on all ques-
lions relating to trusts. monopolies and
high finance and the latter having re-
Gently squared himself satisfactorily
with them on the tariff question, the
interests would not allow Hughes to oe
a candidate at all IL they felt quite sure
that Wilson could be carried back into
the presidency on the great tidal wave
fake OF preparedness" as against any
genuine progressive that the republi-
cans might by chance put up against
him. But as yet they are not certain
on this point. The country must first
be felt out" on the subject Therefore
not until the great linguist from New
Jersey has tested the public pulse on