Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-08-03
Notification Speech Of Hughes.

The carefully prepared speech de-
livered Monday night in New York by
Candidate Hughes, upon ts1e occasion
of his formal notification of his NOM
ination for the presidency, is notable
largely for what it fails to say. Moth
ing is easier than to criticize the acts
of another, the critic having the adj
vantage of knowledge Of after events
which the criticized could not have.
And, when Invested of mass of mean
angless .verbiage, the Hughes sIeech
10 10 entirely a criticism Of the actions
of his opponent without a definite
syllable as to what course he, Hughes,
would take in like circumstances.
One-fourth of the speech is criti-
cism of the course pursued by the adj
ministration toward Mexico, yet he did
not dare declare for any different
policy in any words that would COM
NIT him to any course If he instead
of Wilson had occupied the White
House during the past three years.
He knows the the Mexican trouble
was inherited from the Taft admin.
istration; that the distressed nation
has been in civil war agonies for six
years, and that with the we'll known
luminosity and jealousy of Mexicans
for Americans, war of Intervention
was the only alternative to the policy
of both Taft and Wilson. If, as can
didate for the high office, he seeks.
Mr.. Hughes desires war with our
stricken neighbor to the southwark,
he owes it to the people to say so.
He should be willing to take the pub
lie into his confidence so far as to
reveal his intentions in regard to Mex
leo if elected. Bare criticism without
a suggestion of remedy will not
answer.
The same with his criticism of the
Presidents European policy, policy
that will be written into history as
the most notable diplomatic success in
the records of the nation. Mr.. Hughes
utterly fails to say in what particular
he would act differently with regard
to the European nations now at war.
President Wilson had to sail the ship
of state, with its 100000 passen-
gers over an uncharted sea of neutral
ity, and doubtless felt larger de-
gree of responsibility than weighed
upon Candidate Hughes on New
York platform talking for votes. Just
now the nation is too busy thanking
President Wilson for keeping out of
the horrors Of war to be hypercritical
concerning the method Of securing
that happy end, without blemish on
the nations honor.
The most noticeable feature of the
speech under consideration, is the al
most total avoidance of the numerous
domestic problems that have been met
in most satisfactory manner by the
present administration. The people
would like to know where Mr.. Hughes
stands on the income tax law, tax
ne Dltterly opposed When governor OF
New York. His position on the large
volume of constructive legislation
written into the statutes of the ma
ton within the past three years would
be Of far more interest to the public
at this time than the idle criticism
he has given out.
The speech as a whole is a dis
appointment. More definite state
ments were expected from the candi-
date, whose eigh tyears of silence on
national policies it was believed en-
titled the public to some definite eX-
preston Of his views. Instead they |
are treated to partisan utterance of
partisan candidate appealing for
partisan votes.