La Junta tribune., 1916-08-19
People OF the Whole state"

Hughes as governor went back
TO the people" with the Issues that
concerned them.
Two OF his hardest fights. for the
race track gambling measure and
for the direct primary, he definitely
took out upon the road. At county
fairs. at whatever places asd by wha,
ever means he could reach the peo-
pie. he showed the average voter
how the issue at stake concerned the
average citizen OF New York.
In every issue OF his campaign.
every law he proposed, every policy
he advocated. Hughes showed a con-
sistent tendency to solicit the opin-
ion OF the people of the whole state.
There is evidence that he some
times received advice concerning
less public, more diplomatic. and
more usual means OF getting bills
through legislatures. He met such
advice with repeated assertions that
| his allegiance was TO the people of
the whole state" and that the meas
ures II passed must be passed as a
result OF their convictions.
The appeal was always justified.
For the measures presented to the
people were inspired and founded
on consideration for the welfare OF
the average citizen.
The prohibition OF professional
race track gambling was based on a
conviction OF the need OF protecting
the citizenship body against the
special privilege OF the gambler.
The Insurance reform laws aimed to
protect the rights Of the little mon
ey man against the special privilege
of the speculator The regulation
Of public service corporations aimed
to make profit IN public service de
pendent upon the assumption OF
public responsibility II Insured the
private citizens right to establish
standards and to secure the service
specified. For the first time In the
history Of the state, the private
citizen was given. by this regulation.
somebody to appeal TO II he was not
getting a square deal.
In many minor fights the issue
was essentially the same: In the
prosecution OF the ice trust. alieg-
ed to be receiving regularly IL per
cent profits and to be controlling
the sale OF all the ice In New York
city in the insurance and banking
reform measures with their protec-
tion OF the small investor; Ia the
factory and labor and compensation
laws protecting the health and the
rights OF the workman.
The direct primary principle as
advocated by Hughes aimed to Sc
cure the sovereignty OF the average
citizens vote against difficulties
which would have challenged a less
bold administrator and a less cour-
ageous "reformer" He lost the Is
sue, and the fight for an adequate
direct primary law In New York, as
In most other states. Is yet to be
won. when II Is won. II will be on
the Hughes foundation.
In all these measures Hughes
was simply carrying out the issues
OF the campaign In which he was
elected They We're the same issues
a. those Of the insurance iuyestIga-
tion; the limitations of the arbi-
trary methods OF big business and
the elimination OF the balrful iuflu-
cnccs OF the big business upon poll
tics.
His appeal 90 the people was not
a trick OF the canuy politician u has
no populistie flavor Throughout
his whole official and judicial career
Il has beou most evident that iu gov
.rumen,al creed Hughes IS oouser-
yationist lie believes IN the phil
osophy OF government, and he would
be the first to condemn the short
cuts advocated by the enthusiastic
reformer.
Hut he also believes IN the posi-
bility Of an intelligent popular vote.
He believes in the political education
of the voter upon the issues that
concern him-if democracy l. to be
assured
This quality. perhaps, above all
Others. will make him a national ex-
ocutiye Of peculiar power and VI
sion As president. Jus, as when he
was governor. his allegiance will be
ito the people OF the whole state"
And the roots OF this allegiance are
a