The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-24
HUGHES SILENT

tCohtInued from Page One.j
ity. Thus the Colonel has declared
himself on the one great question of
the hour with patriotic purpose, his
toric foundation, logical argument and
transparent ear1estness. In breath
the wavering and dumb tribe of Bur
tons and FairbankSes and Cumminses
who either stand nowhere or dare not
say where they stand, begin to look
like inpossibilities.
Great Detroit Speech.
The Detroit speech may almost be
called an epoch making utterance, and
it is not surprising that out of the SEN
sation which it has created comes a
new movement to force the nomina-
ton of Colonel Roosevelt
THE committee headed by George
Won L, Meyer makes a dramatic en-
trance into the political arena at a
MON ent of popular excitement and en-
thusiasn, and it would be rash to
prophesy any limits to its effort short
Of success 1t is quite certain that this
new move cannot be stemmed by pus-
syfooting of any kind The people
have had "a taste of real discussion OF
and we believe their appetite has been
whetted for more.
Hughes Supporters Alarmed
THE followers of Mr. Justice
Hughes who seems today more tnah
every the only man in the field VINO can
contest in the lists on favorable terms
with the colonel, have apparently
taken alarm at the new conditions
created by the coloners speech We
learn from several morning newspa-
pers that they have determined TO
Smoke the justice out 1t is the early
way, but we trust the process is to be
limited to an inquiry as to whether
he will accept the nomination if it be
offered to him. This question appears
to us as superfluous as it is inadequate.
What and Where Is Hughes?
MIR. Hughes has never said he would
refuse the nomination. He has fully
and studiously avoided saying so. al
though he has most honorably and in
comp1est good faith declined to be a
candidate for the nomination
1.-THE fact is, refusal of the nominal
ton is unthinkab1e. Mr.. Hughes, if
nominated, will accept.
But what the public wants to know
is whether Justice Hughes is the man
for the nomination in the present
crisis. They want to know where he
stands ON the great questions of the
day, especially on the supreme one,
which Colonel Roosevelt has so en-
phasized. They know Mr.. Hughes very
well as a man and they esteem him in
many respects more than Colonel
Roosevelt.
But the country has no light upon
his attitude. He has not spoken a
word and his friends either have no
light to give or are restrained from
giving 1t. To US it seems not really
fair to the people. 1t seems most unfor-
tunata that perhaps the most suitable
man they could turn to in their emer-
gency is so yelled in mystery as TO
his most essential principles that
voters are deprived of the opportu-
nifty of deciding nationally upon his
availability. Can the people be rea-
sonably asked to pick a president in
the dark?
Hughes Fault if He Loses.
The new strength which Colonei
Roosevelt exhibits today is, as between
him and Justice Hughes, almost alto
gether the outcome of the latter's per-
sistent shyness in revealing his opin-
ions, and if in the long run the colonel
becomes the Republican nominee and
the next president, the future histor
ian will have small difficulty in fig
uring out the reason for his victory"