Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1916-11-02
W|THL0ADEDD DICE

Every citizen who votes for President
Wilson knows what he is voting for
Every citizen who votes for Mr.. Hughes
must guess what he is voting for, and
he must guess just as hard after Mr.
Hughes speeches as he was guessing
before.
Everybody knows that while Mr.. Will
son is President all honorable resources
of diplomacy will be employed to keep
the American people out of the Euro
pean war.
Everybody knows that when the war
ends, the whole moral force of the
United States government will be exert
ed to provide means for lasting peace
Everybody knows that while Mr.. Will
son is President no war of aggression
will be undertaken against Mexico, and
that the United States will not inter
vene in Mexico unless the Mexicans
themselves compel intervention.
Everybody knows that another Viii
son Administration win continue the
progressive Government begun under
the first Wilson Administration, which
produced reform of the abuses of
extortionate protection, the income tax,
the Banking and Currency Law, the
Trade Commission Law, the Chill Labor
Law, the Shipping Law, the Tariff Com
mission Law, the great preparedness
measures, the Farm Credit Law, the
Eight Hour Law and the restoration of
popular Government at Washington.
But who knows anything about
Hughes Administration except what he
can conjecture from the influences back
of the Hughes candidacy?
The professional Germans believe
that Mr.. Hughes election would bring
about an embargo on the shipment of
munitions of war to the allies, license
to the German Government to resume
ruthless submarine warfare, and strong
coercive measures against the allies.
The violent anti German supporters
are confident that Mr.. Hughes's cleo
ton would mean a war between the
United States and Germany in the in
terest of Great Britain.
The Wall Street supporters of Mr.. |
Hughes are convinced that his election |
will be re-established Hannaism in
Washington and give the United States
Government back into the hands of
privilege
The Progressive supporters of Mr.. !
Hughes pretend to believe that he will
champion the Roosevelt policies.
The Old Guard is certain that
Hughes Administration will restore
reactionary rule in legislation as it ex-
listed under Mr. Taft; and SO it goes.
Each element in the motley Hughes
following has a theory of it's own, and
like jeremiah O'Leary and his pro
German committee, each of these ele-
ments has conferred with Mr.. Hughes
through accredited representatives.
Who is being deceived in the Hughes |
candidacy9 The Germans, or the NUM-
tion Trust that is selling ammunition
to the alliesg Taft, or Rooseveltq The
Old Guard, or the Progressivesa Wall
Street, or the Kansas farmersf The
corporations, or the Republican work
ingmen9
If Abraham Lincoln had run for
President as the candidate of the
Southern Shareholders. and the North
ern Abolitionists, his following would
not have been more homogeneous than
the Hughes following. Whoever votes
for Mr.. Hughes is of necessity gamb
ling with the destiny of the Nation At
the most critical period in the history
of modern civilization he is making
blind experiment with American peace,
American prosperity American pro-
gross and American welfare.
There was never a campaign before |
IN which the candidate opposed to the
president in office stood for nothing.
that he dared define There was never
campaign before in which the oppos-
ing candidate dared not put forth
policy or programme of Government.
There was never campaign before in
which the eontesting candidate, pro-
claiming his opposition to everything
the Administration in power had done,
dared not present a single construe-
tive measure of Government as sub
stitute.
1t is not conceivable that the Ameri
can people have so little sense of res
possibility, so little regard for their
future, so little thought for the well
fare of the Republic, that they will take
Mr.. Hughes or any cher man on the
blind terms that he offers. To do that
would be to shake dice for the Govern
ment of the United States, and with
loaded dice at that.