South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-09-25
Some Reasons VIM
Hughes Speeches
Are Disappointing

could make a better suggestion. Inc
number Of replies was much too
great even 10 summarize in the
magazine and therefore the
league undertook TO handle the
question itself.
Mr.. Hapgood's magazine article,
referring TO Mr. Hughes, said "A
newspaper in the west offers gold
prizes TO anybody who can make
him say anything comprehensive.
Papers that once supported him
have backed away as they waited
vainly for some constructive stand.
Yet in the past he showed intellect,
courage and distinction. What is
the answer?
Five Suggestions.
l. It'll rumOred. though 1 know
nothing of the truth OF this rumor
that the president of the. United
states finds the explanation in the
now famous, 100 per cent candi-
date"
?. Another eminent gentleman,
high in councils Of state, told me ne
thought the cause lay further back:
when l was on the bench i was 100
per cent Judge" In those six years.
according to my friend, Mr.. Hughes
hardened into a state Of mind in
which he could not understand the
American people.
3. A prominent editor, support
ing Hughes, said TO me: 1T is good
politics for him TO talk lot but not
say anything. Votes that change,
change TO Wilson. Hughess bust
ness is TO rely on the fact that the
republican vote is normally higher
than the democratic, and play very
safe"
4. An explanation that is at least
shrewd is offered by the Bellman, Of
Minneapolis. 1t says: someone has
given the unfortunate gentleman
what in the vernacular is known as
the wrong steer. 1t is shrewdy sus-
pected that Col. Roosevelt may be
responsible. That gentleman would
probably not be utterly heartbroken
if Mr.. Hughes failed of election
thereby giving him a free field four
years hence"
5. Another guess is this. and it
is my own: Hughes is a good law
yer. He presents a case we'll. But
who can present a case well when
the case has no foundation? II is
well-known adage in the law that
if you have no case, your safest
course is to abuse, the opposing side.
If the reader can send me an eX-
PLANTATION more plausible than any
OF those five, 1 will send him a
years subscription TO the Independ-
ent".
Answers From Readers.
a few IF the answers from the
readers win give an idea Of the gen.
eral trend of the explanation.
Prof c. Alphonso Smith of the
University of Virginia says: The
mathematician Todhunter once
brought a railing accusation against
Shakespeare because the great dra-
matist uses such expression as
more beautiful" most dreadful"
etc. Beautiful he condescendingly
explained, means full of beauty
and dreadful means full of dread:
But if thing is fun, it can't be
made any fuller" The kind of mind
exemplified here,-the analytic, cir
| cumscribed. visionless-is the
| Hughes type. The constructive
/ idealist whom he bereated had the
Wilson type. Failure TO re-elect
/ Pres't Wilson would be a tragedy:
/ the election Of Mr.. Hughes would
be a comedy"
| A good many discussed the matter
| from the point of view of legal and
judicial limitations; for example; J.
| A. Gum, president of the Gould
Balance Valve CO. of Kellog. Ia,
says:
Hughes training as supreme
| judge forced him TO confine his de-
cisions 10 the briefs prepared by the
attorneys for the litigants and 70 the
| opinions of other courts. He was
not compelled to 90 outside of the
arguments furnished him for a new
point of view. Since he became a
] candidate he is following the same
plan. He has accepted as his brief
/ on the administration the ar
guments Of Roosevelt regarding dip
lomatic relations. including the
Lusitania matter; the arguments OF
Sen. Fall concerning Mexico: and
/ the arguments OF partisan politi-
clans in Washington regarding ap-
| pointments.
That, 10 my mind. is what is the
matter with Hughes"
Says He is Over Estimated.
John Turner White. attorney OF
Springfield. Mo-, says:
He was simply over-estimated
! He does not measure up TO the re-
/ quirements OF his job. In his entire
| career he has never shown any
great qualitie~ In his conduct OF
the insurance cases. he only had tc
collect and present evidence. The
| issues were easy and simply"
Every great lawyer wins his case
on its merits. and seldom resorts tc
/ technicalities or Irrelevant abuse
And every lawyer Of experience. il
for the piantiT. knows he must VIII
on the strength OF his own case and
not on the weakness Of his adver.
/ Sary's case
"A number emphasize the differ
ence between having a case and no
I having one.
/ Rev Joseph II Miller Of the pres