The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-11-03
MY CONCEPTION OF THE PRESIDENCY
BY CHARLES EVANS HUGHES

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American people are entitled to a
summary of the things ! have stood
for in this campaign, as they are the
things | shall stand for as President.
No man can tell in advance what un-
expected demands the next four years
may present but one whose conception
OF the Presidents duty rests upon fun
damental principles and describe with
entire sincerity how the problems Of
administration would be approached
and in what spirit they would be
solved
A man charged with the duty of
reaching a desired goal knows that the
road to IL is found in following that
path which sound judgment and clear
vision open up step by step. can
show the road expect to travel.
propose first of all to start right.
The President is primarily an excu-
tive. 1t is his supreme duty to attend
to the business OF the nation, to safe
guard its interests, to anticipate its
needs, to enforce its laws.
The first act of a President who
takes this view of his duties is to call
about him the ablest cabinet the coun-
try can furnish, men who can deal
with the tremendous international and
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front us in the next four years
My conception of the Presidency
differs absolutely from that OF Mr..
Wilson. / look upon the President as
the administrative head of the Govern
ment. He looks upon the President as
primarily the political leader and law
maker of the nation.
In the two departments of Govern
ment most closely touching our for
eign relationship department Of
State and the Department of the Navy
he chose men whom he knew to be
wholly unequal to their duties Ad-
illustrative obligation was subordi-
mated to political exigency. | can as
sure the country that any administra-
tion under my direction will stand up
on sound administrative ground with
the ablest cabinet the country can
supply.
Across the road we are to travel
this next four years, even though we
start right and move with prudence
and courage, serious hazards are
thrown like breaks in a roadway made
by torrential rain. These all rise
out of the war torrent which has over
whelmed Europe. The first has to dc
with our foreign relations. II is the
Presidents duty to safeguard the in
terests of our own nation and to pre-
serve the friendship of every other ma
ton.
No man is more determined than !
to maintain the peace which the Unit
ed States, Spain, Sweden, Norway and
all the American republics now enjoy
But | should seek to maintain that
peace by firm and courteous insist
ence on the rights of our citizens az
home and abroad.
An American in Mexico is subject
to Mexican law, but is an American
still and is entitled to the protection
of his own government in his lawful
business. For one | shall never con-
sent to policy which leaves Ameri-
cans helpless against the lawlessness
Of any country in which they have a
right to do business.
There confronts labor in the next
four years a condition more serious
than any that American laboring men
have been called upon to face When
this war began over million Ameri-
can working men were seeking vainly
for employment When the war ends
and the developed energies of a new
Europe are thrown into commercial
production. our nation will face a,
competition such as it never knew.
One of two things must happen
either millions of men will be seeking
work in vain or else there must be
thought out in advance the problem of
commercial organization as France
and England and Germany are seek
ing to think out the problem today.
Every one of these nations is prepar
ing to defend its own market by pro-
tective tariff. The end of the war
will end also the opportunities Tor la
Dor created by the war The millions
in the trenches today will be our in
dustrial competitors tomorrow. If we
are to save our laboring men from a
catastrophe we must plan a tariff pro-
lection along sound, Just and economic
lines. To this endeavor l pledge my
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