The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1916-11-17
A Voice From The Tomb


Republic, the standest pat Of the
standpatters. is refreshing. We are
tempted to inquire: Can such things
be, and overcome US like a summer
cloud, and not escape our special
wonder2"
The Republic is not in the habit
Of jumping on men when they are
down, but as the late republican can
didate and those who are responsible
for him will never know it has NAL
treated them, it is inclined on this
bright and happy day, when all nature
is smiling, every prospect is pleasing
and man alone is vile, to express an
unbiased opinion or two.
This paper never was very strong
for Hughes. Months ago it expressed
the opinion that he could not leave the
supreme bench and become a candi-
date for political Office without violating
the proprieties. 1t believed that he
had made a good record as governor
of New York; that he was courageous
and honest; it had an idea that he was
a man OF much ability, and that if
elected he would probably make a
strong and capable administrator. At
the same time it felt that the country
needed the republican party in power
more than it needed Hughes, 1t
never did believe that Hughes would
make strong candidate. He was not
the sort OF citizen who could make him
self heard above the din OF a pres
idential election. and not the type OF
man who could pull the stunt that was
organized for him by the republican
and progressive leaders.
There was Just one man in the
country who possessed the qualifications
the republican standard bearer needed
last June, and that man was Theodore
Roosevelt. AS is we'll known, the Re-
public does not like Roosevelt. Still,
no republican gentleman in this state
who went to the polls last Tuesday
and voted for Miles Poindexter need
lift his voice on the score Of its consist
ency. The Republic, as we have said,
thought in June, regardless Of what it
thought OF Roosevelt, that republican
success on the 7th OF this month was a
paramount consideration.
Roosevelt is the one and only man
in the United States who could have
been elected by the republican party.
He is the one man whose voice car
ries from the Atlantic to the Pacific and
from the lakes to Texas. He is the only
man in America who can ride two TN
manageable horses going at full speed
in opposite direction at one and the
same time, a task for which Hughes is
about as we'll fitted as child in arms.
He is the one man in public life
whose personality dominates and over
rides opposition and prejudice. He
is the one man who could have aroused
the nation to such a pitch of patriotic
fervor that it would have understood the
pusillanimity OF the administration that
pretended to have kept US out Of war.
Hughes was nominated by the bone
headed reactionary politicians Of the re-
publican party--the men who don't
know and never can learn. He was
nominated primarily that they might
gain personal revenge on Roosevelt.
He was nominated in the dark. He
was taken from the cloister. Nobody
knew where he stood, nor what he
would say. nor how he would handle
himself, and Notwithstanding that the
very qualities which made him great as
a Judge seemed to guarantee his in
capacity for leadership at time and
in a campaign when leadership was the
essential to success.
From the moment that he stepped
out to the front it became apparent
that his task was too great for him. He
hesitated and compromised and evaded
and pussyfooted and scattered. He
made no appeal anywhere that reached
the people and impressed them. At
the end Of his campaign the country
felt about him as did one OF its ablest
independent editors, man who wanted
to support him all along but could not.
There were, this man thought, hun