New-York tribune., 1916-02-21
Radical Republicans De-
clare the Justice Really
ReaCtiOnary.
WESTERN VOTERS
THINK HIM WEAK
One Senator, However, Believes
He Would Make Almost an
Ideal Candidate.

Washington, Feb. 20.-The possibil-
ity, however remote it may be. that
the Republicans may nominate Justice
Hughes for the Presidency, has aroused
the mutterings Of some OF the more
radical of the so-called Progressive Re-
publicans here. That any of the Pro-
gressive wing should object TO Justice
Hughes came as a distinct surprise to
the oldline leaders. who had assumed
that, whatever might be their own OBJ
jections to Hughes. he would be en-
tirely acceptable to the Progressive
wing. This is far from true, few
Of the Progressives going so far as to
say they consider Mr.. Hughes almost
impossible az the Republican nominee
because Of his "reactonaryism."
"Mr Hughes would never have been
considered a Progressive at all if he
had lived in the West or anywhere else
than along the Atlantic seaboard," said
a prominent Western Progressive SEN
ator to-day. Il am surprised to find.
in discussions in the Republican cloak
room and elsewhere, that IL is gem
orally assumed that Mr.. Hughes would
make strong appeal to the Progress
sve voters. do not know who is au-
thorized to speak for the Progressive
voters. but have a great many in my
state who, think, agree with me that
Mr.. Hughes Is really q reactionary.
Denies Progressivism.
Nothing is harder to understand
than the popular superstition that Mr.
Hughes is a Progressive, save only
that he did make courageous fight
agains. the bosses in New York when
he was Governor. ! concede him in
dependence, but not progressivism. His
veto of the two-cent rate bill, his ac
ceptance of weak and almost vicious
primary bill, and numerous other ac-
tions as Governor classify him, and
they do not put him in the Progressive
class at ALL"
Another Western Progressive. whose
state is noted for its Progressive ideas,
declared that he considered the $50
called reforms" effected by Mr.. Hughes
when Governor as rather those that
would be desired by a churchman than
those of one who desired to readjust
economic and social conditions for the
benefit Of the people oppressed by the
special interests"
Still another Progressive Senator,
who agreed heartily with the objection
to Mr.. Hughes by the two already
quoted, stated his belief that so much
opposition would be drawn by Mr..
Hughes should he be an active candl-
date after the convention, and there
fore a legitimate target, that he doubt
ed if the justice could be elected.
Ideal, Says One Senator.
This view of Justice Hughes, however,
is not held by all of the Progressive
wing of the party. One Senator, who
has frequently been mentioned IN con-
nection with the Presidency, though
he is not cunning for the nomination,
declared he believed Mr.. Hughes would
be an almost ideal candidate. When
told of the objections by some of his
Progressive colleagues to Hughes's
veto Of the 2-cent rate bill and other
actions as Governor, this Senator de-
clared he believed Mr.. Hughes had done
the best he possibly could under the
circumstances.
- do not enthuse over the primary
law Hughes signed" said this Senator.
"As a Progressive it does not appeal
TO me. But ! think that il was the
best he could get, and | have no SYM
pathy with q man who will refuse part
of what he believes is needed because
he cannot get it all. As for the 2-cent
rate bill | think he acted wisely in
vetoing it. In my opinion it was a
bad bill.
"Of course, would like to know, in
the event that Justice Hughes should
be considered at the convention, where
he stood on several of the important
issues. but | would almost be willing
to accept his position on faith, and feel
rather sure that 1t was the correct
one"