Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1916-11-06
My Conception Of
The Presidency
(By Charles Evans Hughes.) J

(By Charles Evans Hughes.)
On the eve of election day the
American people are entitled to a
summary of the things | have stood
for in this campaign, as they are the
things | shall stand for as president.
No man can tell in advance what
unexpected demands the next four
years may present, but one whose
conception of the presidents duty
rests upon fundamental principles
can describe with entire sincerity
how the problems of administration
would be approached and in what
spirit they would be evolved.
A man charged with the duty OF
reaching a desired goal knows that
the road to it is found in following
that patch which sound judgment and
clear vision open up step by step. l
can show the road | expect to travel
propose first of all to start right.
The president is primarily an eXecu-
tive 1t is his supreme duty to at
tend to the business of the nation,
to safeguard its interests, to antici-
pate its needs, to enforce its laws.
The first act of a president who
takes this view of his duties is to
call about him the ablest cabinet the
country can furnish, men who can
deal with the tremendous interna-
tional and domestic problems which
will confront us in the next four
years.
My conception of the presidency
differs absolutely from that of Mr..
Wilson. ! look upon the president as
the administrative head of the gov
ernment. He looks upon the presi-
dent as primarily the political leader
and lawmaker of the nation.
In the two departments of govern
ment most closely touching our for
eign relationship department of
state and the department of the navy
he chose men whom he knew to be
wholly unequal to their duties. Ad-
ministrative obligation was subordi-
mated to political eXigency. | can
assure the country that any admins
tration under my direction will stand
upon sound administrative ground
with the ablest cabinet the country
can supply.
Across the road we are to travel
this next four years, even though we
start right and move with prudence
and courage, serious hazards are
thrown like breaks in roadway
made by torrential rain. These all
rise out of the war torrent which
has overwhelmed Europe. The first
has to do with our foreign relations.
It is the presidents duty to safe
guard the interests of our own nation
and to preserve the friendship OF
every other nation,
No man is more determined than |
to maintain the peace which the
United States, Spain, Sweden, Nor
way and all the american republics
now enjoy. But | should seek to
maintain that peace by a firm and
courteous insistence on the rights or
our citizens at home and abroad.
An American in Mexico is subject
to Mexican law, but he is an Ameri-
can still and is entitled to the pro-
lection of his own government in his
lawful business. For one | shall
never consent to a policy which
leaves Americans helpless against the
lawlessness of any country in whlch
they have a right to do business
There confronts labor In the next
four years a condition more serious
than any that American laboring men
have been called upon to face. When
this war began over a million Amerl-
can working men were seeking valnly
for employment. When the war ends
and the developed energies of a new
Europe are thrown into commercial
production, our nation will face
competition such as it never knew.
One of two things must happen
either millions of men will be seek
ing work in vain or else there mus
be thought out in advance the prob
lem of commercial organization a'
France and England and Germany
are seeking to think out the problem
today. Every one of these nations is
preparing to defend its own market
| by a protective tariff. The end ot
the war will end also the opportuni
ties for labor created by the war
The millions in the trenches today
will be our industrial competitors to-
morrow. If we are to save our la
boring men from a catastrophe we
must plan tariff protection along
sound, Just and economic lines. Tc
this endeavor l pledge myself and
the men who are to be my colleagues
In this matter again differ abso-
lutely from the policy of the present
administration Democratic plat
forms have declared that the govern
ment has no right to levy tariff du-
ties except for income. This is the
fundamental faith of the democratic
party.
pledge myself and those who
stand with me to deal with the needs
of laboring men the country over,
whatever their trade or organization,
upon the principle of giving the larg-