New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-11
WEST TAKES ALL
CREDIT OR BLAME
Even Republicans Find
Solace in "Handing One
to the East
lrrnn /. st.r Correspondent Of The Tribune. ]

Iron a STAFF Correspondent Of The Tribunsl
Chicago, Nov. lO-Now that what
happened may for all practical pur-
noses be conceded. the question, how
il happened, takes first place, and al
though there is no profit in vain spec
ulation, still here in Chicago one gets
an angle of vision on the net result
which is different from that OF the
East.
Answers to the question. "Why was
Hughes defeated" vary, according as
one asks old stalwart Republicans, new
halfbreed Republicans, Progressiyes'
Democrats, Socialists or women.
at was the solid South. and damn
'em. they're n menace to the country.
The West has right to its decisions,
it at least thinks and votes according
ly," so believe those who blame the
solid South. But the South doesn't
think, it Just votes and it votes the
Democratic ticket because it is declasse
to vote any other ticket"
at was the West" say others, as in
deed it was. or a remarkably big chunk
Of the West. But that doesn't tell the
whole story. because there were sur
prising exceptions. And this answer,
whether from Democrats or Republi-
cans, seems TO be largely matter OF
pride.
Republicans looked the figures over
and are inclined to boast bit because
the trick was turned without New
York"
Handed One" to the East
New York is regarded as synonymous
with richness and fairness and compla-
cency of power of numbers and money.
AS long as it had to hanpen some West
ern Republicans display considerable
resignation. because. after all. the
West handed one" to the East
But when Democrats talk about the
victory which the West has won over
the East they stutter and splutter and
wiring your hand off in their enthusi-
asm. Charles +. Murphy may as well
give up being q Democrat; he isn't
wanted in the new Democracy, and the
East never again will cast the decid-
ing vote in a Democratic convention.
Mr.. Wilson. AS n Southerner, may be-
gin 20 SILVER If he seeks third term,
for the mighty West is in a mood now
TO have the candidates of all parties
come from its ample bosom.
IL was the women of the West; so
say few women and many men. They
did it because "He kept us out of war"
That is the masculine view. They did
it because of Wilson's social meas
ures and programme" This is the
opinion Of Mrs. George Bass, who is
disappointed because the women of IL
linois took a decidedly contrary posi-
ton. She was Western woman's man
ager for the Democrats.
Ten suffrage states went for Wilson,
and two, Oregon and Illinois, for
Hughes, and the men and women of all
twelve, as far as results now show,
thought and voted very much alike. The
sex line wasn't drawn. 1t was the Pro-
gressives of California, say Progress
s;ves of Illinois. They were sore be-
cause Hughes didn't show Hiram
Johnson more attention, and they say
he lost the Presidency of the United
States right then.
Wounds Which May Never Heal.
Johnson himself. sincere as he may
have been, couldn't help it, they say.
The differences between Republicans
and Johnson men go down TO bedrock
and then some. There are wounds
which never will be healed in this Cali
fornia generation.
IL was pussy-footing on the great in
ternational issues, pandering to Ger
mans and muzzling Roosevelt, keeping
him deliberately cut of the country
where he would have done the most
good for party organizations, an in
tcrest which was held higher than the
election of Hughes, are among the
charges. How much truth there is in
charges such as these, born of chagrin
and disappointment, ii is impossible to
say. They are not made by the Western
Republican managers in charge at Chi
cago.
1t was Ohio. Republicans here who
were in the thick of the fight put a
great deal of blame on Eastern man.
agement because of Ohio. Here was a
normally Republican state, with "a cleo
toral votes, which went for Wilson be
cause the campaign wasn't begun until
the last moment" Look what we did
with Indiana and Illinois and Iowa"
Ohio was not in charge of Western
campaign headquarters.
IL was not the labor vote. Everybody
here agrees on that and is glad it is
plain that Mr.. Hughes's opposition to
the Adamson act was not responsible
for his defeat. The voice of the East
and of the great industrial centres was
loud enough to assure everybody of
that.
West Talking of the Future.
Such are the first hasty thoughts Of
the West. or so much of it as is now
represented here. They probably do not
come near a complete diagnosis of a
complicated disease. But the West,
speaking of that element which doesn't
thank God for Woodrow Wilson, al
ready is talking Of the future and is be-
ginning to make loudly vocal the feel