New Britain herald., 1916-09-08
Denies, in Lewiston Speech, Hos-
 tility to Laboring Man
CONTINUES R. R. LAW ATTACK
Says Measure Proceeded Absolutely to Impose Wage Scale Before Con- gress Learned Whether It Had Proper Authority.

Lewiston, Me-, Sept. S.-Charles E. Hughes, speaking in the City hall here before an audience which frequently interrupted him with cheers and ap- plause, today continued his attack on the administration in connection with the enactment of the Adamson law MT. Hughes asserted that the "whole country stood aghast," att "the aban- donment of executive prerogatiVe and congressional duty.''
 Now if any one rises in this coun- try to say that I am not the friend of labor," the nominee said, he knows he is not telling the truth''
 MT. Hughes, reviewing his record in connection with labor legislation while governor of New York, read an editorial from the Legislative Labor News, of October, 1910, in which it was said that he was the greatest friend of labor laws that ever occu- pied the governors chair at Albany"
 That is complimentary, but it is true," MT. Hughes said. Tt was written at time when I supposed and they supposed that had left forever the political field. It was an outburst of candor and it may be put along side those other outbursts which are now being intended to poison the elec- tOrate.
 Didn't Agree Fully With Labor
 ''It is true I did not agree with all that labor proposed. I vetoed the full crew bill. It applied generally to railroads throughout the state It was admitted that in some cases it was not needed and that it would require of 5n, sands of dollars unnecessarily.
 What we need in this country is fair mindedness. When we have grievance the thing to do is to ex- anime the bases of fact. If any one tion, that person indicts the integ- rity and honesty of the Am erican peo- pie. There is no question in this country that can't be settled if you get at 1t in the right way
 The bill to which I refer carried on it's face the declaration of it's own defects. It proceeded to abso lutely impose a wage scale and then to consider it, to find out whether if had any business doing it.
 "I want fair wages, but the prin c1ples of American government under lie every contract, every opportunity of labor. Why, the laboring men of this country can no more take the chance of surrendering what has been won in our long fight than they can surrender the opportunities of their very existence. These things are vital to labor and to every American citi- zen.
 T say let public officers stand like rocks for principles that are funda- mental let come what may.'
 MT. Hughes reached Lewiston, one of the chief labor centers of the state, shortly before 10:30 o'clock He rode through crowds to the Audi tor1um where Theodore Roosevelt spoke last week and was introduced to the audience by George c. Web Der, who withdrew his candidacy for the progressive nomination as Unit ed States senator to support the re- publican ticket. Features of the street parade were the brass band-played by school boys of French lineage and huge American flag, carried out stretched by more than 50 white capped boys.
 The nominee left Lewiston for Wa terVllle shortly after noon