West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-06-15
Hughes

I TO him.
/ Il has selected as its own candidate
the Republican who in the popular
mind most nearly resembles President
Wilson in character. I'm ability. i'm tenn
perament and in capacity for idealistic
public service. 1t has taken the Re
publican Wilson TO be its standard
bearer. because IL did not dare take
anybody who presented contrast to
the Democratic Wilson. II has
brought the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States into politics. because it was
afraid TO nominate a candidate with
recent record OF opposition TO the
President. 1t has named Hughes in
the blind belief that history may re-
I peat itself.
Ten years ago the Republican party
OF New York was torn by factional
strife and smirched by the damning
/ exposures of its partnership with in
surance corruption and financial cor
ruption. In despair the bosses turned
TO Charles Il. Hughes, who was coun-
sci for the committee that The World
had compelled the Legislature to ap-
point to investigate the life insur-
ance scandals. and nominated him for
Governor.
The character and public service OF
Hughes were sufficient to subordinate
the Republican record of corruption
and the Republican bosses were dou-
bly, fortunate in having as Hughess
opponent William Il. Hearst. who had
accepted stolen nomination from
lammany, after Grady had done the
dirtiest days work of my life"
Hughes was elected, and from the
day OF his Inauguration the Republi-
can bosses became his bitterest foes
They fought him on every issue on
which they dared to fight him They
blocked every measure of reform. with
one exception, that he urged upon the
Legislature. They would have de-
feated him for denomination except for
the interference OF Roosevelt. then
President and boss OF the bosses. who
feared that the rejection of Hughes
might prejudice Taft's candidacy at
the polls. Hughes was numerically
knifed In the election, and although
Taft carried New York by 2O2. .6O2.
Hughes plurality was only 69,462.
No sooner were the votes counted
than the Republican fight against the
Governor was renewed. At last i'm de-
spair and disgust he resigned his Office
and accepted an appointment to the
bench of the United States Supreme
Court
shattered and dlscredited Repub
lican machine has again turned to
Charles T.. Hughes, and invited him to
provide a window dressing of charac-
ter and respectability for the Repub-
lican campaign. The Republican
bosses hate him now as they hated
him when he was Governor of New
York. They have taken him up as
they took him up in 1906 only in the
desperate hope that he will win for
them and establish them in power. II
he should be elected, they will fight
his national administration as bitterly
as they fought his New York admin
istration.
There was no good faith back of the
nomination of Hughes for Governor.
There is no good faith back OF the
nomination Of Hughes for President
He is again the candidate Of a bank
rupt party gambling for power, this
time with the aid of the German vote
which insisted upon Hughes nomina-
ton. His high character, his splendid
record Of public service, his splotless
integrity and his devotion to duty arc
sordidly capitalized by an Old Guard
that is in partnership with Privilege
and Plutocracy for the re-establish-
ment OF rcactionary government and
by hyphenatcd Americans who are de-
termined to avengc themselves upon
President Wilson for his patriotic re-
fusal TO submit 10 Cermany's murder
Gus submarine warfare
The World has the highest respect
for Mr. Hughes as a man and public
servant There is nobody In public
life for whom we have a higher per
sonal regard but we can find no rea-
aou why he should be elected Presi-
dent i'm place of Woodrow Wilson. We
can find innumerable reasons why the
sinister aud crooked and uu-Amerlcan
interests that are trying TO use him
for their own purposes should bc over
whoimcd at The polls
But even if the Influences behind Mr..
| Hughes were different. this is no time
for the American people 20 make cx-
peIimonts in government This is no
time 70 change administrations. This
| U.s. no time to take needless risks.
This is tho worst of AN times to give
European nations the Impression that
the United states lacks political solid
arity and that &C. is ready TO trine with
the vital question of peace with honor.
The welfare Of the American people.
az home and abroad. the highest and
best interests of the republic in this
critical period Of civilization. demand
the reelection OF President Wilson.
New York World
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