Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-12
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Why pinchot i for Hughes.

Philadelphia, Sept. s.-To the Edi-
tor of The Bee: 1t is the duty Of ev-
cry American citizen to make and
support openly his choice among the
candidates for the presidency. Thai
duty is especially solemn this year
because great events and great deci-
sions are certain to confront us DUR
ing the next administration. | am
writing to give you my reasons for
my own choice.
/ am neither a democrat nor a re-
publican, but a progressive Yet
there being no progressive nominee,
unless ! choose to support a candi-
date who can not be elected, must
vote for either Wilson or Hughes.
For many months after his inaugu-
ration, ] though well Of President
Wilson. In many respects l liked
what he said about what he was 60
ing to do. He talked well and made
good impression. It was only when
began to check up what he said by
what he did that was forced to
change my view.
In the end came to see that Pres
ident Wilson has greater power than
any other man in public life to say
one thing, but DO another, and get
away with 1t.
The facts which justify this state
ment are common knowledge.
We have all heard him tell Ger
many publicly that 1t would be held
to strict accountability, and have
learned afterward that he had actu-
ally let 1t know secretly at the time,
by the mouth of his secretary of state
through the Austrian ambassador.
that what he said he did not mean.
We have all seen him prove that he
did not mean 1t by his total failure to
exact reparatfon. apology or even dis
avowal for the murder of Americans
on the Lusitania.
/ do not say that Wilson should
have thrust us into war. There was
no need of war. But there was need
of courage to give us peace with self
respect If Wilson had shown cour-
age this country would not have skid
ded from one crisis to the next, again
and again narrowly escaping disaster.
We have all heard him declare
against Intervention in Mexico, while
actually intervening to dictate who
should and who should not hold Of
fice there, and denounce war against
Mexico while actually engaged In war.
For more than year after the
world-war began, Wilson did not raise
a finger to put us in condition of de-
tense. Only the proverbial good luck
of America has kept us from paying
the bitterest price for his unforgivable
neglect.
We have all heard him ridicule the
idea Of a greater navy, then declare
for incomparably the greatest navy in
the world, and then go back on that.
We have all heard him declare for
exempting our coast-wise trade from
tolls In the Panama canal, and have
seen him show our own people and
the English that he did not mean 1t.
We have seen him elected on a
platform which pledged him to a sin
gle term as president, and then be-
come a candidate for another term.
We have all heard him announce
himself as president of all the people
and have seen him, as the most par
tisan president Of his generation. flout
and oppose the progressives, whom
now. because he needs them, he seeks
to conciliate and enlist.
These facts, and many others like
them. have forced me to see that what
Mr.. Wilson says is no sign of what
he has done, or of what he will do.
The one thing his record shows Is that
what he stands for now he is not
likely to stand for long. do not care
what his platform or his compaign
declarations may be, because the COM
mon experience of us all has taught
us that to him, they are simply mo
lasses to catch flies
Hughes, on the other hand. is a
man Of his word. His record as gov
ernor Of New York proves that. 1t
shows him to be honest, fearless and
free from the. domination Of special
interests and corrupt politicians. So
far as the conservation policies are
concerned. both what he said and
what he did could hardly have been