Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-24

JUSTICE HUGHES is not getting a
- square deal.
Monday Theodore Roosevelt delivered
himself of the following:
Any man at this time of crisis who is
not aggressively, openly and specifically
for these principles is against them, and
every patriotic American should trust
our public servants on this basis.
The object of this attack was under
stood to be Justice Hughes. 1t was so in
terpreted, by the men who heard Mr..
Roosevelt speak, and that is the meaning
the press of the country has given it.
The statement, nevertheless, is palpa-
bly, untrue. A Justice of the United
States Supreme Court is not against any
principles merely because he is not
"aggressively, openly and specifically"
for them. A pretty picture Justice
Hughes would make gadding about the
country to tell the people that he is an
American. They know it, even If he does
not boast about it, and they see no oc-
casion for him to denean his high office
by partisan or other political declara-
tions.
The truth Is that Justice Hughes is
gagged by his office and Mr.. Roosevelt is
wide publicity was given to a statement
purporting to come from Hughes, to the
effect that the Justice believed that Roose-
welt would be the nominee, so what was
the use of people talking about anybody
else. That lie was nailed during the day.
Mr.. Roosevelt in his Monday talk went
on to say that it was of no use to have
anything to do with a man unless in
every crisis, whether he be in or out of
office, he frankly and fully takes posi-
ton on me concrete facts which are up
for decision, and applies the abstract
statement directly to these concrete
facts"
That Is simply 'hot air." and nobody
knows 1t better than Mr.. Roosevelt. If
any Justice, when Mr.. Roosevelt was
President, had undertaken to junket
about the country expressing his views
on the seizure of Panama, or the coal
strike, or other matters of intense inter-
est at the time, that Justice would doubt
less have heard from the White House.
Mr.. Roosevelt knows, as every other
things a Justice cannot do When, there
fore, he undertakes to damn Hughes for
paying attention to the proprieties, when
he attempts to further the interests of
his own candidacy by striving to give
the impression that Hughes is silent be.
cause he is a mollycoddle, although he
knows that Hughes is silent only because
his office requires him to be silent, then
Theodore Roosevelt is guilty of the kind
of fighting which has never yet been
denominated fair and square.
We hold no brief for Mr. Hughes. The
availability of no particular candidate at
Chicago has yet been made apparent We |
take it for granted that no man will be
nominated whose views are not known. |
We assume, too, that an authoritative |
statement from Mr. Hughes could readily |
be got If his selection became imminent, |
for in that case he would have a right to |
speak, in spite of lis office. But we object, |
as thousands of other good American |
citizens object to his enemies man.
handling him when he is tied. He cannot |
hit back now, but If he could we have a
feeling that his voice would be heard |
above all the din and noise which SO far |
have passed for craftsmanship.
Mr. Roosevelt is not the first American, |
he is not the last American, and he is |
not the only American. There are other |
men whose patriotism can match his. and |
there are other men, more silent, indeed, |
but no whit less intelligent in their con-
ception of the needs of this nation. Mr.. |
Hughes is one of them, and his record, |
we dare assert. is not that of molly |
coddle, even If his great triumphs have |
been won without the blare of trumpets.
The American people. we believe, are
going to see to it that he gets a square
deal.