Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-18
HUGHES BEAT WILSON TO 1T


Mn. WILSON devOutly and sincerely
believes that the government OF men
like Quay. Penrose and McNlchol is in
visible government. SO does Mr.. Hughes
So does Colonel Roosevelt. And 30 does
Elihu Root. who agreed with the reform
ers OF 1906 that the Philadelphia machine
was "a corrupt combination masouerad-
ing as Republicans" Mr.. Hughes and
the former President and the former Sec
retary OF State also believe that basely
invisible Is the government of men like
Taggart OF Indiana Murphy Of New
York. Sullivan OF Illinois and Jim" Smith
OF New Jersey, In whose company Mr..
Wilson first saw the dawn OF new
America CLEAN in the eastern sky.
But partisan politics aside for a mo-
ment. Mr.. Hughes and Mr.. Wilson are
both eminent Americans We can be
proud OF them abroad-of their high mo-
tives, OF their scholarship. OF their pure
lives. They answer the challenge Of Vis-
count Bryce, that we do not choose first.
class men for our Presidents. II was a
good thing for the President TO warn the
Pennsylvania Democrats against invisible
government He has admitted that there
are Democratic leaders who are not dis
interested. adding that they do not con-
troll his party. He believes, as Bryan has
been saying for twenty years. that the
host OF eminent Industrial, commercial
and administrative leaders in the Repub
lican party, against whom the Democrats
cannot muster a corporals guard of the
same caliber. is controlled and guided
by nameless and greedy gamblers in bill
lions. Could he not have exempted Mr.
Hughes from this category, which Mr.
Wilson himself says ls not loyal to any
party, but despicably unprincipled and
bipartisan There is one thing that the
national leaders in both parties must
agree on--the ousting OF machine leaders
in the local politics Of cities and States
Is this not such great-sometimes such
a supreme-issue that upon it the clean
handed candidates for the presidency
could shake hands?
But Mr.. Wilson will not call for truce
in the fold against the wolf. He chooses
to class the foe of the gamblers with the
gamblers, the foe OF the bosses with the
bosses, the first and most consistent of
the progressives with the last and most
decadent OF the progressives Men of all
parties will agree that Mr.. Hughes had
good permanent reason, apart from this
campaign. TO be stirred TO wrathful pro-
test. He replies to Shadow Lawn from
Omaha:
I came into public life. long before
this Administration was thought of. as
the opponent of invisible government
The fact that l was an opponent of in
visible government Gas my title TO
public confidence, and II was because 1
was an opponent of invisible govern
ment that. not according to my liking
indeed, against my desre-I was nomi-
mated for the presidency of the United
States. / know that we are In constant
danger of subversion of the principles
'of government.
What is the idea? That Mr.. Hughes
will sign an unfair and corrupt tariff
bill? There are men In the Democratic
and Republican parties who want such a
bill. There are men masquerading as
Democrats who want such bill. Grover
Cleveland denounced four such men in
his Senate as traitors to their party.
Does any one who appreciates the busi.
ness acumen OF Hughes in the insurance
investigation think politicians can put
over" such a bill? Does any one who ap.
preciates the courage of Hughes in at
taclsing the wage increase law think he
could be scared into asserting to a cor
ruptly bipartisan tariff bill?
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WILSON DID NOT DO THIS