The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-08-20
HUGHES AND HUERTA.

the martyred Huerta VINO has now
taken his place among the republican
saints.
In his Detroit speech Mr. Hughes
was unable to control his passionate
indignation at the iniquity OF Presi-
dent Wilson in refusing TO recognize
the doctrine Of government by ossas.
sination. Such refusal has filled Mr..
Hughes with a deep sense of shame"
Now it is possible that HueTta
ought to have been recognized m the
theory that if Booth had been able
10 seize the government of the Unite1
States after the assassination Of Lin
coin he ought to have been president.
/ that Guiteau ought to have been the
successor of President Garfield and
that Czolgosz should have taken Pres.
ident McKinley's place in he White
House
The United States has lost three
presidents by assassination since the
end of the civil war, and so we can
readily understand why President
Wilson was reluctant in the case Of
Huerta to commit the republic TO
that political doctrine. Yet Mr. vii
son may be wrong and Nr. Hughes
may be right Numbering he nigh Of
ficials of government
ficials of nation in order to seize
the machinery of government may be
new kind of referendum In any
event, Mr. Hughes is plainly prepared
to justify it, and give it the moral
sanction Of the United States.
1t is natural that Mr.. Hughes, as
the candidate of reactiOnary republi-
canism, .snould defend Huerta against
President Wilson. Huerta represented
in Mexico the same theories of gov
ernment that old-guard republicanism
represents in this country-govern-
ment by privilege, government by
property, government by great corpo-
rations, government by vested inter-
ests. From a republican point OF
lew the only valid criticism of Huerta
| lies in n certain unconventionality OF
method in arriving at power. Murder
Is bad thing when it is done to over
throw despotic government, but muir
der to re-ostablish despotic govern
ment for the profit of vested interests
must not be judged too harshly.
Henry Lane Wilson, who is Mr..
! Hughes confidential adviser in the
matter Of Mexico, ridicules in the col
umns of the Sun President Wilson's
theory that the people of Mexico
ought to have a chance to work out
their problems for themselves, and
says:
at must always be borne in mird
that Mexico is not a civilized nation.
Eighty per cent of the population
of Mexico are without an abiding place
except by sufferonce."
| What would happen in the United
| States if so per cent of the population
were without an abding-place except
| by suiferance? Yet Mr.. Hughes. is
filed with a deep sense of shame"
because President Wilson refused to
recognize the dssassins that killed the
| Mexican president who was seeking to
obliterate that crime against mankind.
1t is unQuestionably true that Presi.
dent Wilson has made mistakes in
dealing with Mexico. He himself
would not pretend to be infallible. 1t
| is likewise true that he has tried to
do more for the Mexicans than they
have proved capable of having done
for them. but there can be no nobler
! error Even the complete failure of
such a policy would be infinitely pref
cradle TO American Endorsement of
| assassination. tyranny and servitude
as instruments Of free government
If Mr.. Hughes wishes to make a
republican hero of the murderer, des
pot and ruffian who died with German
gold in his pocket under indictment
for violating the laws of the United
States, he Is free to do so. We wish
him well of that Huerta and of all the
other Huertas for whom he may take
brief But the American people
have reason to be proud indeed that
there is man in the White House
who does not share Mr.. Hughes
views of foreign policy and who holds
/ fast to the ideal!sm of the Fathers
of the Nation.
Woodrow Wilson may not meet Mr.
Hughes notions Of Prussianized eff
cheney as applied 10 popular govern
ment. but he keeps the old faith. and
the old faith is the soul of the repub-
lic.-New York World.
-O-