Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-05-19
THE GREAT QUADRENNIAL
CIRCUS

Sunday gives an interesting sketch
of the different presidential cam.
paigns for many years back, and fig.
ures that more than $50,000,O0O will
be spent in the election of a presi-
dent this year, without counting the
actual cost of holding the elections,
/ individual expenditures, loss of time,
etc. While the preliminary campaign
cost will be trifling as compared to
that of 1912, the finals promise to
equal that of four years ago.
| With the Republican national con-
vention less than three weeks away,
the leaders of that party are SEEM
ingly at sea as to the probable can
didate, while the Democratic conven-
ton will without doubt resolve itself
into a ratification meeting by the re-
nomination of President Wilson by &C.
clamation, so that political prognos-
ticators are confined to the one con.
vention this year.
The leading aspirants for the Re-
publican nomination are, in the order
named. Roosevelt, Root and Hughes,
between whom, according to the wise
prophets, the fight will lie after the
favorite sons have been honorably dis.
posed of. OF the three, Root is un.
doubtedly the choice of the old guard,
to whom Roosevelt is particularly OBJ.
noxious and Hughes too uncertain.
The objection to Root, aside from
the political enmity Of Roosevelt. is
the lack of vote-getting personality
and the fear that his we'll known re.
dictionary views will ALLEVIATE the pro-
gressive vote, and this handicap may
prove his undoing. Hughes is regard.
ed as an unknown quantity. His pc.
sition on the supreme bench bars him
from expression, and his position on
the current issues is unknown. In
many respects he resembles Taft, whose
views on public questions were OBJ
scure. Taft was regular; he was
a good party man; he was a good
Judge on the bench, but blunder.
buss in the presidential chair.
Hughes, like Taft, knows little OF
the world. He neither speaks nor
understands the common language OF
the street His heart is not particu.
larly sympathetic and he analyses hui
man beings from judicial, cold
blooded standpoint. Hughes, in his
experience and education, is narrow.
ly aristocratic and he was born with
corporation viewpoint, inflexible as
granite. The one apparent chance for
Hughes lies in a deadlock following
the failure Of Roosevelt to put his
play over.
At this writing, Roosevelt appears
to have the lead, Notwithstanding the
antagonism of the faithful followers
Of Taft four years ago. His posi-
ton is strengthened by his Rump con
vention, which is called at the same
time and place as the Republican con.
vention for the express purpose OF
clubbing recalcitrant standpatters into
line.
There Is no more astute or unscru
pulous politician in the land than The.
odore Roosevelt. He knows the game
in all its ramifications and a change
of front has no embarrassment for
him, and if necessary to success, he
will denounce the recall of judicial
decisions this year as vehemently as
he advocated that doctrine in 1912
! His tremendous ego and animal We
lOcity make him a foe to be feared,
yet unless the regulars" believe that
unless they nominate him he will re.
peat the play of four years ago,
nomination in favor of almost any.
body.
| Against him will be urged the sore.
ness existing among the regulars; his
record while president, notably includ.
ing the aid given the Steel corpora
ton and Harvester Trust; the fact that
he forced Taft upon his party as the
best prepared man for the presidency
the country had produced" that his
rabid utterances in criticism of Will
sons cautious foreign policies indicate
temperament calculated to precipi-
tate needless war and that many
thousands of voters, right or wrong,
believe him to be dangerous man to
place in the White House at this crit
ical time.
| In three weeks we will know the
actual result, meanwhile it is open
season for prophets and one mans
guess is as good as another.