The Washington herald., 1916-08-23
The Campaign Yet in Babyhood.


confidence from the housetops, transmit conf
dence in every handshake, force confidence into
every word uttered, and mpart confidence even
into the atmosphere is one OF the first rules
OF any candidate in any political campaign.
In the present campaign we see both nomi-
nees adhering to this rule in every detail with
such success that confidence is running down
through the ranks Of poth parties. This is as
1t should be and is to be expected 1t is proper
and it is politics But the strange feature OF
the confidence propaganda in this campaign IS
that it has been extended even to the voters
The voter, the man in the street, is conf
dent and whether he be Republican or Demo-
crat he gives no indication at all that his con-
hdence is assumed. Ask Democrat: We'll,
how does it look?" He will smile and say:
Wilson" Ask Republican: WELL how does
it look? He will smile and say: Hughes"
II you ask the question in Washington the
chances are that the man questioned will not
offer to back up his assertion with argument.
He knows who will be elected and is content
to stand pat his knowledge and let you
wander off in your ignorance.
One explanation of this situation seems TO
be that the campaign has not progressed far
enough to shake the confidence of either party.
Gancing back over the last few weeks shows
that there have been developments yet suf-
hciently important to tilt the scale either way.
Mr. Hughes has begun his campaign as he was
expected to begin and Mr. Wilson has followed
the course he expected to follow with the
exception Of his decision not to stump.
Both parties have drawn blood but the
wounds have not been dangerous A compari-
of the thrusts made by Mr.. Hughes proba-
bly, will show that he has inflicted most dam
age by his argument that the nation has better
guarantee OF prosperity under a Republican ad-
ministration than under Democratic leader ship.
A review of the work Of the Democratic leaders
will show that they have lessened the force Of
this blow by Mr.. Hughes with propaganda de-
signed to show the full extent OF the country S
prosperity and to convince that this pros
perity will not be terminated by the end of the
war.
Mr. Hughes undoubtedly has scored by his
criticism OF the administrations Mexican policy
lack OF policy. In this criticism the Repub-
lican nominee has been aided somewhat by re-
cent developments. The apparent decision of
the administration to send more troops to
the border and to withdraw the regulars from,
Mexico in the future has convinced thou
sands of militiamen that at least one specih-
cation in Mr.. Hughes bill Of complant-vacil-
latiOn-is true. The militiamen seem dsgusted
in their position OF being all dressed up with
nowhere to 60"
But what Mr.. Hughes may have gained by
ridculing the Mexican policy seems to have
been offset in a large degree by Mr. Wilson's
position the of the hour in the rail-
road crisis. Today the American people are far
more interested in the threatened strike than in
Mexican affairs, and in this internal trouble the
President has taken off his coat and plunged
into the work at hand in an Amercanized way
iS min t6o- H.
will be beneficial or detrimental to the Prcsi-
dents political fortunes no man may say.
When Mr.. Wilson announced that he would
make no stump speeches he gave as a reason
the belief that such course would be incon-
slstent with his position as Chief Executive of
the nation. Had he given no reason the Ameri-
can people might have believed that he did not
want to leave Washington until the threatened
railroad strike was settled and Mr. Wilson
would have greatly benefited.
Mr. Hughes is in the middle OF the third
week of his tour The Democrats say he has
not accomplished much as they expected, and
it is true that he has not created as much ex-
citement might have been created bv a
certain Colonel, but Mr. Hughes has not in
Jured himself He has been given a reception
that has seemed sincere than demonstra-
tive. The people have greeted him as man
VII" S0llOuS message, message they were
eager to receive, and there has been no notable
indication that they have been disappointed
in his message
The fact that Mr.. Hughes has set off but
few fireworks may be accepted as proof of HIS
confidence that fireworks are not needed lust
as Mr.. Wilson's decision not to stump has been
accepted as proof OF his confidence that stump
ing is not needed. The confidence of both men
seems supreme, but whether the men in the
ranks will retain their confidence until the end
IS a question The campaign still is very
young, and it promises developments of far
greater importance than those that have been
seen.