The Washington herald., 1916-07-17
The Taking Soon Begins.

For the first time in many Year both the
Republican and Democratic nominees for the
Presidency going to stake the stump" Super
reservedness and superdignity are to be laid aside
both by Mr. Wilson and Mr.. Hughes, and they
are going to take off their coats, roll up their
sleeves, and go at it.
There ought to be warm times.
Ever since some six years ago, when the
Chief Executive quit his Office at Princeton to
fight for the governorship of New Jersey, he has
acquired a steadily growing reputation as a
speaker. His style is perhaps less forceful than
that of Roosevelt. II is perhaps more delicate
than that of the silver-tongued William Jennings
Bryan. Where the former relies on the bullet
like style of talking Kipling," and the latter
pins his faith to sonorous phrases, Wilson uses
subtlety and the epigram. And, as the actor
folk say, he gets his stuff over" People like
to hear him-and, for the time being at least,
what he says sounds mighty reasonable.
Hughes has proved himself the big surprise.
People first began to notice him when he was
conducting that insurance probe up in New
York some ten years or so back. All that time
he never said word.
Then he for governor of New York.
Again he kept dead quiet He did make two
usually in connection with some celebration
rather than political. He went into the governor S
office a man Of silence-and he remained man
of silence. What he did fills many pages Of
New York State history but what he said could
be printed, in large type, in one or two small
volumes
But if he was a Sphinx while governor, he
was two Sphinxes after he mounted the bench
OF the Supreme Court. There he silent
as the Mall at 4 o'clock in the morning, and so
cold that his title Justice" was converted into
Just Ice"
But it probably will be generally admitted
that since his nomination for the Presidency
there has been at least slight difference.
Half an hour after he received the news that
he had been named by the Republicans, he put
message on the wire that made the whole coun-
try sit up and take notice. More still, it got
behind the Progressives like a whirwind, and
blew them straight back into the ranks of the
c. o. Pail, that is, except Mr.. Parker, of Lou
isana who still insists he wants to run for Vice
President.
And since then, almost every day, Mr. Hughes
has had something to say-and has said it in
a way that leaves no doubt as to his meaning.
He has shown himself a master of tact, too. He
granted audiences to representatives of both the
suffragists and the antsuffragists, and sent them
both away perfectly satisfied It takes genius to
do that
Also the correspondents who have been in
terviewing him, have found that instead of being
Just Ice" he really is whole souled, and very,
very human. They have found he knows how
to smile.
Even yet, of course, there are comparatively
few people who have heard Hughes talk. But
that is to be remedied, his campaign commit
tee has announced by tour of the country,
to be made shortly, where stops will be made
at this and that station, and Mr.. Hughes will
come out the back platform Of the train and
tell the townsfolk all about it.
When that happens those townfolk will hear
style of oratory strikingly different from that
of either Wilson or Roosevelt or Bryan, yet in
way, composition of all three. Like his op-
ponent, too, when Mr.. Hughes talks he gets
it over"
1t is a pity that the Office for which the two
men striving is too exalted to allow them
to meet on the same platform, like they do
sometimes in county campaigns. Such a meet
ing would be worth going good many miles to
see
But, though they talk from distant points,
and at different times the result nevertheless
probably will give the newspapers plenty to print
And, so far as the catching of votes is concerned,
the matter will hearken back to the old lady who
kissed the COW. 1t will all be question of taste
For in this one respect the two candidates are
just about even
1t might be we'll to remember, however, that
there lots of folk after ALL who can talk
There considerably fewer who can-or will
put their words into action.
On this point, perhaps, the records of the two
men will prove enlightening.
Verdun.