The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-11-02
BY Charles Evans Hughes

American people are entitled to .
summary OF the things ] have stood
for in this campaign, a. they are
the things I shall stand for as Presi.
dent.
No man can tell in advance what
unexpected demands the next four
years may present but one whose con.
ception OF the Presidents duty rests
upon fundamental principles can des.
cribe 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 It Is found In following
that path which sound judgement 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 execu.
tive. 1t is his supreme duty to at.
tend to the business Of the nation, TO
safeguard its interests. to anticipate
its needs. to enforce its laws.
The first act OF President who
takes this view OF his duties is to call
about him the ablcst cabinet the coun.
try can furnish. men who can deal
with the tremendous international
confront 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 tho President
as primarily the political leader and
lawmaker of the nation.
In the two departments of Govern.
ment most closely touching our fore.
ign relationship Department OF
State and the Department of the Navy
HE chose men whom he knew to be
wholly unequal 10 their duties. Ad.
ministrativc obligation was subordin.
ated to political cXigency. can
assure the country that any admins.
tration under my direction will stand
upon sound administrative ground
with the ablest cabinet the country
can supply.
Acr1ss the road we are to travel
this next four years, even though
we start right ana move with pru.
dence and courage. serious hazards
are thrown like breaks In u roadway
made by q torrential rain. These all
rise out of the war torrent which has
overwhelmed Europe. The first has
to do with our foreign relations. II
is the Presidents duty to safeguard
the interests of our own nation and
to preserve the friendship Of every
other nation.
No man is more determined than
to maintain the peace which the
United States. Spain. Sweden, Nor.
way and all the American republics
now enjoy. But ] should seek to
maintain that peace by firm and court
eous insistence on the rights of our
citizens at home and abroad.
An American In Mexico is subject
10 Mexican law. he 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 a million
American working men were seeking
vainly for employment. When the
war ends and the developed energies
OF a million Americanagagagagio
OF new Europe are thrown into
commercial production. our nation
will face a competition such as IL
Iever knew.
One Of two things must happen
either millions Of men will be seek
ing work in vain or else there must
be thought out in advance the pro.
blem Of commercial organization as
France and England and Germany
are seeking to think out the problem
today. Every one of these nations
is preparing to defend its own market
by a protective tariff. The end Of the
war will end also the opportunities
for labor created by the war. The
millions in the trenches today will be
our Industrial competitors tomorrow.
II we are to save our laboring men
from a catastrophe We must plan a
tarih prortection along sound. Just
and economic lines. To this endeayor
l pledge myself and the men who are
to be my colleagues.
In this matter again | differ abso.
lutely from the policy of the present
administration. Democratic platforms
have declared that the government has
no right to levy tariff duties except
for income. This is the fundamental
faith OF the Democratic party.
pledge my self and those who
stand with me to deal with the needs
of laboring men the country over,
whatever their trade or organization,
upon the principle OF giving the larg.
est protection possible to every Am.
erican working man and the largest
participation possible in the prosper.
ity Of our Industries with special ia.
vors to none.
Finally 1t is to be remembered that
every European government is put.
ting itself behind its industries: or.
ganizing them, encouraging them and
suggesting economies. When the com.
mercial struggle begins anew, the in.
dustries of every European country
will go into the world markets backed
by the effective cooperation and in