The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-06-15
GOVERNOR HUGHES FOR PRESIDENT


The nomination of Charles E. Hughes
as the Republican candidate for the
Presidency represents the subordination
of preference to prudence, of ambition
to expectancy and of sentiment to rea-
son. 1t is no disparagement of Justice
Hughes high character or of his dis
tinguished abilities to say that he was
not the first choice of a majority of
those through whose votes his selection
was effected. That is not surprising.
Under all the circumstances, how could
it have been otherwise? The former
Governor of New York had no wide
acquaintance among public men. Most
of them know him only by reputation,
and even the reputation he had made.
great as it was, had its peculiar limita-
tions. 1t was singularly narrow in its
scope and restricted in its significance.
Justice Hughes public career had been
one OF exceptional, of extraordinary, of
disconcerting brevity.
Ten years ago beyond the professional
circle to which he belonged, and of
which he was an esteemed member. he
was practically unknown. 1t was not
until he had so ably improved the 3D.
portunity which the investigation of the
life insurance business afforded that he
emerged into the public vision and won
widespread recognition as a man of
integrity, capacity and force. So deep
ly favorable was the impression created
by the manner in which he DISCHARGED
his difficult and responsible duties upon
that occasion that his future career was
assured. In him the leaders of his
party saw coming man and after he
had served term as Governor of the
State of New York his record was such
that he could not be denied another.
Then he was translated from the sphere
of politics by his elevation to the bench
OF the Supreme Court of the United
States, and the rest is silence.
The judicial position which he now &C.
cupied totally removed him from as
ISOLATION with the world of politics or
of affairs, and precluded the extensive
and promiscuous acquaintance upon
which political and personal popularity
is so largely dependent. Under these
conditions it was not possible that his
following should have been of the emo
tional and enthusiastic kind. Those
who saw in him the best man to whom.
all things considered, the leadership of
the Republican Party could belntrusted.
those who preceived in him the strong
est candidate for the Presidency it
could name, did so rather with the
head than with the heart.
Another factor which told heavily
against him and which operated to
dampen the spirit of his support, was
the attitude of absolute disinterested-
ness which he felt it incumbent upon
him to maintain. There is no Justice
no merit, no pertinence whatever in
the adverse criticism to which, on this
account, he has been subjected. That
was almost exclusively the criticism of
an INSCRIPTIONS partisanshlp, of an
alarmeda and offended rivalry. Ever
since his. nameswas first mentioned as
that of man who might wisely be
chosen toslead theiRepubican Party to
next November's victory Justice
Hughes conduct has been wholly ire
proachable. He has been blamed for
failing toiexpress his opinions on the
issues of thelday. He has been cen.
sured. especially by those who feared
his popularity, flor refusing to show the
country precisely where he stood with
regard to those questions which are &C.
cupying thelpublic mind. the questions
of preparedness, of..Americanism, of all
undivided and unshared allegiance. 1t
has been.sald that he was under some
kind oflmoral oripolitical obligation to
take the country into his confidence on
these and germane points.
This isluntrue. He could not have
uttered a word In these connections
without: departing from the course he
had marked out for his pursuance, or