New-York tribune., 1916-06-02
The Candidate.

MI. JUSUCo huButS II q ~
the Republican nomination for President.
He desires to be nominated and he is fol-
lowing precisely the same course that he
pursued when he desired the nomination
for Governor of this state.
The Tribune does not believe that consid-
Grafton for the Supreme Court has alone
Influenced the course of Mr.. Hughes il
the present instance, first, because, when
no consideration Of judicial dignity was
involved, both In 1906 and 1908, Mr..
Hughes acted exactly as he Is now acting,
and second, because The Tribune believes
Mr.. Hughes is far too clear-sighted to
think that the difference between silent
and vocal seeking after a nomination can
protect the Supreme Court from any po-
litical taint while justice Of this court
is a candidate for a political office And
for itself The Tribune does not believe
that a place on the Supreme Court bench
should forever exclude man from seeking
another public Office.
Every one knows that Mr.: Justice
Hughes will take the Republican nomina-
ton for President if he can get 1t, be-
cause every one knows that he could take
himself out Of the question by half
dozen words if he we're not candidate.
Every one knows that instead of speak
ing those words Mr.. Hughes is eagerly
and steadily following the course that he
believes will most surely obtain for him
the thing he desires.
1t is Mr.. Hughess privilege to seek the
Republican nomination in the way that
seems TO him the wisest. No one can posi-
bly, be as interested in his obtaining the
nomination as he is: no one has quite as
much at stake in personal way.
But it seems to The Tribune that there
is a consideration outside of the personal,
and il is precisely the consideration which
Mr.. Hughes may sacrifice if he pursues a
wholly personal campaign. This consider
alton is not the Republican party, but 1t is
the thousands and hundreds of thousand
OF American citizens who desire this year
10 vote upon square issue of American
ism.
The Tribune does not believe that Mr..
Hughes sympathizes with the Hyphens or
with Hyphenism. But the German
Americans have adopted him as their can
didste. They have served notice upon
the Republican Party that 1t must not
nominate Elihu Root or Theodore Roose-
welt because both are by reason OF their
public expressions, unsatisfactory TO he
Cerman-American, and they have pro-
claimed Mr.. Hughes their favoritc.
II Mr.. Hughes is nominated by the Re
publican National Convention, bearing
this label and under these circumstances,
he will doubtless make a prompt repudia-
ton Of the Hyphen support But will any
reputation after nomination carry the
conviction, win the support that would
come to frank declaration in advance?
There is nothing new in the attempt of
a political party, torn by factional dis
turbances, TO avoid a split by enlisting a
judicial candidate. We all remember the
case Of Alton b. Parker. From first to
last Chief Judge Parker followed precise
ly the course that Mr.. Justice Hughes is
following. And when he had acquired the
nomination Judge Parker changed from
calculated reticence TO industrious vocif-
GRAFTON. But the gold telegram" carried
neither conviction nor weight, and the de-
feat Of Parkcr became soon a foregonc
conclusion.
There arc millions Of American citizens
who are American before they are Repub-
licans or Democrats. If the campaign
should develop into an effort on the part
Of the German-Americans TO punish
Woodrow Wilson because he had not ut
terly and wholly carried out their wishes,
il Il became a plain effort of an alien
element TO dominate and dictate, these
millions would instantly turn TO Wood
row Wilson. Their votes could only be
had against Mr.. Wilson if they were able
TO vote for candidate who had equally
or more completely enlisted the Hyphenatc
hata