West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-08-17
Mr.. Hughes Own Record


Mr.. Hughes is denouncing President
wilson because there is extravaganza
In the government OF the United
States. But Mr.. Hughes gave New
York the most extravagant admins
tration II had ever known.
During the four years previous TO
Mr.. Hughes the total appropriations
made by the legislature and signed
by the governor aggregated s112,31S.-
12615. During the four years OF Mr..
Hughes the total appropriations made
by the legislature and signed by the
| governor aggregated s150.393, 06643.
This was an increase OF $38,074. $40. 3S.
The governor OF New York has pow
err not vested in the President OF the
United States. He can veto separate
items In an appropriation bill. Yet
Mr.. Hughes exercised this power to
so little effect that the appropriations
for the last year OF his administra-
ton exceeded those OF the last year
OF the Higgins administration by more
than s1o.o0o.ooo.
The present Generalization of the
| state finances began with the Hughes
administration, and when Mr.. Hughes
attacks the Wilson administration for
extravaganza he inevitably calls at
tention to one OF the weakest points
in his own political career.
Mr.. Hughes invites the same kind
OF an answer when he attacks the
| Presidents appointments to Office. Mr..
| Hughes is n good man and was a good
governor, but his appointments on the
whole were nothing to brag about. His
| political manager was Frederick c.
Stevens, the superintendent OF public
works. Mr.. Stevens constructed for
Mr.. Hughes one OF the tightest private
political machines that New York has
ever known, and this weapon was used
freely in Mr.. Hughes warfare with the
regular Republican organization.
Most of Mr.. Hughes appointees were
Republicans of mediocre type. The
World is by no means satisfied with
all of Mr.. Wilson's appointees, but
| they probably average better than Mr..
Hughes. They certainly produce bet
ter results in the way of public SER
vice. nt
We have no doubt that Mr.. Hughes
would have been glad to name better
men IL he could have found them, Just
as we are certain that Mr.. Wilson
would have been glad to name better
men than some that he has appointed
to office; but chief executive must
| use the tools that are available. He
| cannot always have his own way. He
is forced to take conditions as he finds
them. not as he would like them to be.
A President Of the United States
must work with Congress, He must
work with his party. He must know
when to sacrifice the small things In
| order to obtain the larger benefits to
the country. If he undertakes ruth
lessly to trample his party organiza-
| ton underfoot. he will end as Mr.
Hughes ended in New York, when the
disguised voters turned to Tammany
The World has low opinion of
some OF the deserving Democrats"
who have been put into office by Pres
ident Wilson; yet we doubt IL any of
them have proved so wretchsdly in
compent as Mr.. Hughes highly re-
spectacle public service commission
which practically nullified the law as
far as the people of this city were
concerned.
IL is just as easy for Mr.. Wilson to
magnify the small blunders of the
Wilson administration as it was for
Mr.. Hearst to magnify the small blum
ders OF the Hughes administration.
Yet no honest man would deny that
Mr.. Hughes wrought great good to
the state of New York, and IL Mr..
Hughes we're now less OF a partisan
and more OF Judge he would frankly
admit that President Wilson has prov
ed himself one of the great world lead
ers of democracy in modern history
World.