The Washington herald., 1916-06-20
The Hyphen Not an Issue.

Altogether insulting to the intelligence OF the
American voter is the attempt by certain over
Jealous politicians and political organs to brand
Mr. Hughes as the German candidate for Presi-
dent OF the United States. 1t is trick that is
as hopeless as it is transparent, and long before
election day it will have been abandoned and for
gotten. From the Republican standpoint it IS
fortunate that their opponents brought it forth
so early in the contest, to tire themselves in its
exploitation and out the patience OF the peo-
pie. 1t is inconceivabe that the hyphen can be
made issue that will deprive such represen-
tative American as Mr.. Hughes OF any American
votes. The attempt appears to be rather child
ish performance not calculated to have any in
fuence in the campaign, though if it is persisted
in, it may bring to the Republican candidate the
support of level-headed citizens who resent the
afront to their common sense which such an
absurdly transparent fake represents.
1t may be, and probably is, true that a
jorty Of the Gcrman-Americahs will vote for Mr..
Hughes. They will do so because Of un-
reasoning hatred Of President Wilson, just
they would have voted for any other the
Republicans might have nominated, with the ex
Ceptior Of Col. Roosevelt; for the chances
they would have voted for Mr. Root-even
though he was bIacklisted by the German-Amer-
lean Alliance before the convcntion-in prefer
cnce to President Wilson. But the fact that
COMMUNICATIONS will vote for Mr.. Hughes for
the purpose of revenging themselves upon Pres
ident Wilson presents shadow OF a reason
why any American should withhold his vote from
the choice OF the Republican party at Chicago
And the number of American votes that will be
cast for President Wilson for the reason that
German-Amercans refuse to vote for him will
be insignificant There is no question of Mr.
Hughes Americanism; it will stand comparison
with that OF President Wilson's. If the Republi-
can candidate is elected he will be the President
OF the United States and he will prove hms self
quite capable OF discriminating between the muir
der of women and children and the misappropria-
ton OF property. the sefsame crime in German
eyes. that President Wilson has committed In
deed if these Gcrman-Amcrican voters close their
cars to the rawlings OF their leaders and calmly
consider the situation for themselves they may
discover cause to doubt whether they are just-
fed in expecting as favorable treatment for Ger
many from Mr.. Hughes from President Will
son. Germany and Austria have committed a
long series OF crimes against the American peo-
pie, as yet unatoned under President Wilson's
administration. Our hyphcnatcd citizens might
do better by sticking to him; but if they are not
looking to the future and are blindly seeking re-
venge for wholly imaginary wrongs Of the past,
then the votes OF most OF them will be counted
Tor the Republican candidate, together with the
ballots OF Americans whose confidence in a
sterling American will not be shaken BY the
hyPhenated vengeance squad. The hyphen can
not be made an issue, and those partisans who
are trying to make it one are deceiving the peo-
pie no more than they are deceivng themselves.
All that can be accomplished they have ac-
complished already only a part OF their work
will be undonc if some OF the German-Ameriean
votes flop back to Wilson before November