Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1916-12-15
Why Hughes Lost.

M. ". StdTley ondWdDo, "iS. 40 o.
weeks Journal just received, a &,
have read with considerable interest
the results in Wisconsin regarding the
election, and especially in Shawano
county. Evidently this is Republi-
can year in some places at least, a.
though the west generally seems to be
riding in thu opposition band wagon.
While on the subject of the west,
few comments on the result OF the
voting in this section might be not
amiss and m ght also be of little
interest to the readers of the Journal.
Had Charles E. Hughes eliminated
his western trip from his schedule, he
undoubtedly would have been elected
president at last weeks election.
Comment here was general after he
bad made his trip through the west
and northwest, that he had injured
his cause. This for several reasons.
The first of these: Temperamentally.
H ghes is jurist. Anyone who had
heard him eight years ago when he
was campaigning for the election of
Mr.. Taft could not help being i'm
pressed with the force of his logic and
the fact that he was confirming him
self TO dispassionate discussion of
issues. This year there seemed to be
disposition on his part, especially
in this part of the country, to emulate
Theodore Roosevelt because Roosevelt
is more or less an idol hereabouts.
1t did not work. There is nothing
about the character of Hughes ard
Roosevelt that is similar so far as
outward manifestation is concerned.
Hughes attempt to ape Roosevelt
was about as obnoxious as would be
the attempt of the average minister
of the gospel to ape Billy Sunday.
They are not in the same class
But Hughes did make his western
trip. He did try to copy Roosevelt.
And yet these two facts do not ex-
plain in to W ~ the west west went
so solid against him. 1t is true the
''He kept us out of war" plea Of the
Democrats did have fascination for
the average feminist voter, although
it did not seem to work the same way
in Illinois. But here again the Re-
publicans overreached themselves in
trying to capitalize Hughes declar-
alton he would use his best efforts to
; secure federal suffrage constitutions
amendment. 1t was too much like
the attempts of the labor leaders to
deliver the labor vote to Wilson be
cause of the enactment of the Adam.
son so-called eight hour law. They
rebelled against the insinuation they
could be handled like pawns. | dc
not blame the women.
And yet the result is not entirely
explained. Hughes lost three ives.
tern states which by all the rules Of
/ reason he should have carried-Utah,
California and Washington. Utah
was lost decisively because of state
issues largely, according to the state
/ ment of the Democratic state chair
man of that state. There was alst
party differences in Wisconsin ant
California. This is where Hughe.
got in wrong. Both are cut and Gu
progressive states, but unfortunate y
standpat Repubilcanism was in contro
; of party organization and mapped ou
Hughes program Of entertainment
while in both states without attention
to Poindexter in Washington ant
, Johnson in California. In Washing
ton, while the Humphrey crowd W
toasting the nominee, the Poindexte
following were kicking holes in thei
shoes against the curbing in tn,
street. They We're not n it. The
same way in California. Had Hughes
gone to johnson in California, stucl
out his hand and said, Good morn
ing, Hiram, am glad to see you,
the great majority Johnson had il
, that state would have been shared by
Hughes. His desire not to mix il
fractional fights in either one of tn,
states got him mixed in the minorit.
camp and lost him both. This is no
l. surmise-it is just plain fact.
Wisconsin was bit more fortunate
And yet study of the result there II
like trying to decipher criss-cros
puzzle. LaFollette conducts his cam
l paign, with plea rather against thai
? for understood Republican principles
! and wins by larger plurality than tn
head of the ticket gets. Hughes, tn
embodiment Of these principles, an
|, leaning rather to progressive ideas
!, beats Wilson. Phillip, aligned NOR
, with the reactionary, standpat por
n ton of dead repubicanism, ais
n wins. Surely study in contrasts
aud all put over by the identical elec
torate. What would Wisconsin WON
r e1 have done to complicate the situa
ton further had they had the ballot
:. But the basic fact remains, unles