Semi-weekly herald., 1916-10-09
MIR. HUGHES IN PITTSBURGH

Pittsburgh would not be in Penn
sylvania were it not fond of politics,
and Pennsylvania would not be quite
so important factor in national pol
itics We're it not for Pittsburgh. As
far back as the days of Thaddeus
Stevens and the Camerons, as well as
in the time of William Darrah Kelley
and Matthew Stanley Quay, and
down TO the period in which Philan.
der, c. Knox, Boies Penrose and
William Finn have been dominant
figures in its coucils, Pittsburgh has
been to the Republican party of
Pennsylvania, except in one unforget
able interval, a stronghold almost as
dependable as Philadelphia. Repub-
lincan national political campaign
managers have always felt it to be
desirable to get" Pittsburgh. a
city swarming with Industries and
hived with worSingmen has always
been regarded as an asset in the Re
| publican organization, because com
mon report will have it that the
| workingmen Of the country lean to-
ward the Democracy. Pittsburgh, in
essence, is a city OF workingmen, and
its synpathies, whichever way direct
ed in national politics, have, without
doubt, welded tremendous influ-
ence. with labor the country over. To
get" Pittsburgh, therefore, is an
achievement well worthy of the best
effort of the Republican managers.
| Nobody knew this better than Mar
Gus Alonzo Hanna, OF the neighbor,
ing state of Ohio, When that far
sighted merchant, manufacturer and
practical politician undertook the
management of William McKinley's
campaign in 1896, and determined up
on making the full dinner pail anu
prosperity his slogan, one of his first
steps was TO get" Pittsburgh, ana
TO line Pittsburgh labor up for his
cause. just 20 years ago the enthus-
iasm of the toiers OF Pittsburgh was
being arouse for Mckinley, as in the
last few days, it has been aroused
for Hughes,
Almost every move made, in the
Industrial tour OF the Republican
nominee of 1916 in Pittsburgh, will
recall TO thousands The tour over the
same route made by William McKin-
ley in 1896, Mckinley was personal
| ly conducted under the direction OF
"Mark" Hanna; Hughes was person
| ly conducted under the direction of
'Bill' Finn. And in two cases the
results We're equally satisfying, to
candidates and to managers. The
rounds" were made of the Home
stead, the Carnegie, the Westing-
house, and other great plants, and
work was suspended long enough, in
each instance to receive evidences OF
their appreciation in lusty cheers.
| Whatever the Democrats may say
of the manner of approah to the
Pittsburgh workers, or Of the ad-
dresses made TO them by the Repub-
liam nominee, the fact remains that
the impression left within the mann
moth plants was goou. Allowing for
partisan exaggeration in the Repub-
iican reports, there is no reason to
doubt that the former reticent as
sociate justice won over to his can
didacy by his alfability and cordial
ity, the good VIII, and even the en-
thusiastic friendship, of large num-
bers of the workmen.
But, after, ali perhaps this was
not the greatest thing achieved by
the Hughes management in Pitts,
burgh, although it would be absurd
to minimize the value of the senti-
ment aroused for its candidate
among the steel operatives in the
city. Reference has been made to an
unforgetable interval in the history
of Pennsylvania Republicanism. Pos
sibly the term "unforgetable" should
be modified, in view of the events
Of the last few days. Poets like to
say that there are same things which
cannot be forgotten. AS rule, how
ever, poets are not politicians, and it
is only rarely that a politician is a
|poet. 1t is probably common ex-
perience that there are not only some
but many things which can be for
gotten in politics. A striking illus
trntion may be found in the recon-
ciliation that is scheduled to take
place, in few days, between Will