The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-18
THE TRAGEDY OF HUGHES

In the midst of the greatest crisis known to modern history the most im- portant issues in MT. Hughes's mind are the substitution of a Democratic Director of the Census for a Repub- lican Director of the Census, the ap- pointment of son of Battery Dan Finn to place in the customs service and the failure of the President occu- pied with matters of the first magni- tude to keep all the petty pork out of a River and Harbor Bill. It is like abusing Abraham Lincoln because the streets in Washington where not bet ter paved during the Civil War and declaring that in consequence his Ad- ministration was a failure. . In 1908 there was a ring of sin cerity in the Hughes speeches and a fervor of conviction. There is neither sincerity nor conviction in the Hughes speeches of 1916. But the Hughes of 1908 was not 100 per cent. can didate for office. He was 100 per cent. leader of the people of New York, irrespective of party, to re- establish popular government. The Hughes of 1916 is not 100 per cent. leader or 10 per cent. a leader. He is trying to pussyfoot into the Presi- dency under the guidance of the Old Guard Republicans. He takes his political advice from them, just as he takes his campaign fund from Wall street. He takes his campaign infor- nation from them. He makes the kind of speeches that they tell him he ought to make. They warn him
 not to try to present constructive poH- cies of his own lest he be compelled to defend them, and he obeys. That is the Hughes of 1916. That is the 100 per cent. candidate who is as- sailing the 100 per cent. President. The World is frank to admit that it finds no cause for felation in the l Hughes fiasco. It contains too many
 of the clements of political tragedy. 1 As an enthusiastic supporter of
 President Wilson The World favored
 MT. Hughes's nomination by the Re- publicans, believing that his candidacy
 would mean a campaign of education for the American voters. We were
 certain that he would put the issues upon the highest plane of statesman
 ship, and that the contest would be 1 a contest of two great statesmen, diff fering as to method and policy, but each courageous, single-minded and
 unswerving in his conscientious devo-
 ton to principle and duty. Instead
 MT. Hughes has pitched his campaign
 in the lowest key of partisanship and | is appealing only to party prejudice
 and party passion. Instead of being
 the Republican candidate for Presi- dent he might be Republican can- | didate for assemb1yman.
 ], The World cannot rejoice at the ex-
 hibition that MT. Hughes is making l of himself. This country always needs
 wise. sagacious .poYItical leadership
 It needs it in both parties. It needs
 a Republican who can do for the Re
 publican party what President Will son has done for the Democratic par. l ty. It needs men who are 100 per Fcent. leaders of political thought and
 political principle, and we used to re- gard MT. Hughes as such man. To
 discover that he is only 100 per cent office-seeker, and that he is ready tc
 subordinate everything else to tha,
 ambition, brings to The World sense
 of keen personal luss.
 We feel that something very fine
 very inspiring. has gone out of the public life of the United States We
 feel that the American people are
 poorer because Hughes who was
 once 100 per cent. @ Judge has turn.
 ed his back upon his record and his
 traditions in order to become Hughes
 who is merely 100 per cent. can l didate.-New York World.