The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-02-18

short by calling him to the position he
now nils. Meanwhile, he had been
widely discussed as presidential pos
siibility. and would have stood fair
chance of being nominated in 1908 but
TOR President Roosevelt's resolve to
compel the nomination of Taft. By
the time another quandrennium had
rolled around his party had been hope
lessly split by the Progressive seces-
sion. AT the regular Republican con-
vention he was mentioned on all sides
as a man whose candidacy would
compose the quarrel; but his old
friend and country neighbor. Rabbi
piece, declared that under no circum-
stances could he permit his name to be
used.
The reason attributed to him then
was that his position as an associate
justice made him unavailable, The
fact is well recognized by both Mr..
Taft and Mr.. Roosevelt, however. that
Mr.. Hughes faced then a very differ
ent set Of conditions from those which
will confront him at the Forthcoming
national conventions of the Repub-
licans and Progressives. Having re-
justice from President Taft, he was
unwilling even indirectly to be the
beneficiary of Mr.. Taft's loss, and he
made it very clear not only to Rabbi
Wise, but to his other friends at Chi
cago, that rather than have his own
name used by those who were trying
to defeat Mr.. Taft for a renomina-
ton he would, if necessary. make a
statement that if the Chicago conven-
ton nominated him instead of renom-
mating Mr.. Taft he would refuse that
nomination. That attitude was thor
oughly typical of Mr.. Hughes, who is
very far from being an opportunist in
the matter of friendships.
The sincerity of his latest statement
on the subject, which becomes public
today in a letter to Chairman Slemp
of the Virginia Republican State COM
mittee, will not be questioned by those
who know Mr.. Hughes, but its mean
ing will be distorted by those poll
ticians in the Republican party who
fear him as much as they fear Mr..
Roosevelt. because as governor of
New York he refused to be dominat-
ed by them. Mr.. Hughes makes his
meaning entirely clear to those who
wish in good faith to know it. He is
"entirelv out of politics" and sis total
ly opposed" to the use of his name in
connection with the presidential NOM
lnation, directly or remotely" but he
does not say, his friends and associ-
ates on the Supreme Court do not
wish him to say, and those who know
him best declare he will not say, that
nomination for the presidency COM
ing to him unsolicited as free will Of
fering of his fellow citizens would be
refused.
| Indeed the desire of multitude Of
citizens refuses to go unsatisfied. The
men who are clamoring for Hughes
insist that the present situation has
nothing in common with the cases
which might be cited as presidents
| Chase and Davis, for example, made
no secret of their ambition to ex-
change the Bench for the chief magis.
tracy. and Field and Harlan were al
ways suspected of sidewise glance
in that direction. But here is a mar
who has declared that he is content
where he is and entertains no outside
aspirations, and who has made the
assertion in so unequivocal a manner
that not his severest critic could as.
sail his attitude.
If the Republican party is lookine
for compromise" candidate, it will
have to pass over Hughes in its search
He has nothing of the COMPROMISED ir
him. In 1912 the hatering overture:
he received from men prominent il
both factions did not prevent his pub
licly avowing his loyalty to his ole
party and its candidate, President
Taft. Whether the Progressives would
be willing to forgive and forget thi!
ignoring of their wrongs there is ne
prophesying. But it would make nj
difference in the end; for anv part,
that takes him for its candidates.
Stunning that he consents to be taker
by any-must take him, not on it
terms, but on his own.
AS President, Hughes could b,
trusted to have a well-ballasted opin
ion on every important public ques
ton; to be courteous in its expression
and patient. though by no mean
mealy-mouthed, in discussing it will
whoever held different one; and
having made known what he intende,
to do, to hold fast to that purpose
through good and through evil report
after he was once satisfied that it hat
the Endorsement of the people. Hi
standing as a lawyer is higher, all tn
elements being taken into account
than that of any president of our gen
Grafton. His executive experienc
prior to entering the presidency woul,
be greater; and what is far from be
ing a last sideration-though 4.
has had judicial experience also. h
has never let the judge swallow up tn
administrator. or lapsed into the habi
of idolence which has become tn
, curse of so many able lawyers afte
donning the ermine. He is. in briet
man of today and tomorrow-not
| reluctant lingerer over the grea
things of yesterday.
If you do not believe this. waite
him the next time he speaks in public
with his tumb in his waistcoat-pocke
and his conversational tone and ali
and say frankly whether there is any
thing about him that is not stampe
with the seal of candor. energy an
; common-sense. How he is regarde
in the .cholastic world is evidence
by the fact that last summer he re