Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1916-06-22
HUGHES And FAIRBANKS.
from The New York Times.)

Roosevelt by the Republicans
would have had a meaning clear
to every American mind. That
candidacy would have raised
high and made visible the Issue
of opposition to Woodrow Will
son on the only grounds h q t
make it capable OF statement. 1t
would have meant that in t b g
Judgment OF the Republican par
ty the United States ought now
to be engaged in the European
war, that it ought to be at war
with Mexico, or as a conquerer
actually in possession OF
that country. The nomination OF
Mr.. Hughes must bear to for
eign observers a bewildering like
ness to an express Endorsement
of the administration of Wood
row Wilson. He is a man of the
same type, conservative, deliber-
crate, accustomed to consider
carefully the consequences OF his
acts, never rash, never yielding
to hasty impulses or swayed by
the heat Of passion, yet withal in.
ierior in capacity and dexperience.
1t is impossible to imagine Mr..
Hughes as President writing a
message to Congress demanding
q great war credit and instant
naval and military preparation
for q war with Germany because
of the invasion OF Belgium or the
destruction OF the Lusitania.
The utmost stretch of fancy does
not enable US to see him asking
Congress on Mexico. The picture
would be wholly imaginary, false
to the man and the occasion.
Yet the Republicans have ab-
solutely no other issue up o n
which with any degree OF force
and consistency they can demand
Of the people a withrawal OF their
confidence in President Wilson.
That issue they dare not raise.
They condemn, they denounce,
they use freely the adiectives OF
the language, but their nouns
and verbs have no specific mean
ing. II Mr.. Roosevelt's denuncia-
tions ofthe administration mean
anything at all, they mean that
he would have gone to war with
Germany, that he would have
gone to war with Mexico. That
lis the popular understanding o.
what he Is driving at. He was the
indicated and logical candidate,
the only candidate by whose nom
ination the Republicans would
have clearly manifested their a
version to Mr.. Wilson's policy ol
peace, their preference for a poll
cy OF war. Even Mr.. Roosevelt's g
words, while they fill the air will
the din OF many explosions, leave
no distinct impress on the mind
President Wilson, be says, cha
rendered to his people the most
evil service that can be rendered
to a great democracy by a cho
sen leader" By not going to wa
with four,monarchies and one re
public? His words raise no othe
issue against MIR. Wilson that tn
mind OF the people could grasp
To have put him before them a.
q candidate, with loud outcrie
for war upon his lips and a plat
form denouncing the administra
tion for not plunging the countr,
into war would have put the Re
publicans into the campaign wit
q defnable issue.
The candidate they have che
sen has OF necessity been speech
less. He now says: 81 stand fC
the firm and unfinching mair
tenance OF all the rights OF Anne
lean citizens on land and on sea
Would Mr.. Hughes have gone t
war about the Lusitania, G
would he have maintained vi
ainchingly the rights OF Amer
can citizens on land and sea, 8
b. ~r r1u Lo v,o,nto;po1 Tho,