Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-27
HUGHES IS THE LEADER

NOTHING has become Colonel Roose
In veit's relations with the Progressive
, party so much as his leaving II.
The alternative that confronted him, az
/ he we'll says. was assisting In continuing
in office an administration which has
proved lamentable failure. He prefers
to assist in putting into office an admin
istration which we have every reason to
believe will function with efficiency for
the interest and honor of our people"
There should be no misinterpreting of
the letter setting forth his position which
the Colonel addressed to the Progressive
National Committee. That document is
not the platform on which Mr.. Hughes
will necessarily take his stand. 1t is
merely an explanation of the reasons
which led a thlrd-party candidate to re-
fuse TO run. 1t is addressed to his asso
ciates in that party. Its purpose is to
| Justify withdrawal and to give reasons
for Joining with the Republicans in fight
ing together for the victory which all
| opponents of the Democracy seek. There
Is no doubt that the great mass OF voters
who supported Roosevelt four years ago
agree with him now. They followed his
leadership then because he stood for the
things in which they believed. They will
follow 1t now, for the reason that he is
anxious to bring about the result which
they also desire.
We have called the Colonel leader.
1t would be more correct to describe him
as a representative. He was the voice
of great unrest in 1912. He is the voice
desire to restore efficiency and force in
the administration of the affairs of the
nation.
The leader in this crisis in Charles
Evans Hughes. He has not thrust him.
self upon his party. He has not sought
to ride into office on the wave of any
popular demand He Is not now and never
has been an opportunist. His party has |
called him because he is the personifica- |
tion of the qualities which 1t feels are
most needed in public life at the present |
time. The occasion demands a leader, a
man who does his own thinking and |
reaches his own conclusions. The whole
public career of Mr.. Hughes has proved |
that he Is such man. Instead of hold. |
ing his ear to the ground to discover |
what will please the mob. he has the |
brain to decide and the courage to tell |
the nation what ought to be DONE
We know what sort of a leader Mr.. |
Hughes was when Governor of New |
York. While he was in power honest |
men in that State could hold up their
heads and look one another in the face |
with pride. They knew that there was
no backstairs government They knew
that no secret conferences could betray |
them, and they knew that when the bosses
combined to undo him he boldly accepted |
the challenge and appealed from them to
Caesar, the supreme power: in the Com
mouwealth. the people themselves He |
recognized their authority and none other. |
We know what kind of leader Mr.. |
Hughes was in the campaign of 1908. |
When things were in the doldrums he |
went to Youngstown, o., and made a
speech which lifted the arguments to
a high plane and put new life into the
party. Then he made series of speeches
farther West that set the crowds to cheer
ing for him almost as loudly as they
cheered for Taft. He was the new
national force which that campaign de.
veloped.
Now this strong, original. self.contained
man, with the provocation of three years
of ineflciency and Incompetence in Wash.
ington, is to plan the campaign and lead
the fight which is TO restore self.respect
to the nation first and then is to correct
the blunders which have made US
ashamed
And he is the man who can do II.
He will plan the campaign himself He
Will formulate the battle cries. He will
define the vital issues. In short, he will
be a leader who leads, The rest will follow
and follow gladly. Cummins and Cannon,
Lodge and Borah Root and Roosevelt,
the Old Guard and the new guard, the
boilers and the standpatters will CO.
operate toward the grand result. They
will show their quality by the heartiness
with which they enter the fight.
over and above all will be the domi-
mating will OF the nominee, unsurpassed
In intellect and patriotic devotion by any
statesman OF his generation. We are TO
have campaign which will lift political
discussion out OF the ruck of the common.
place and will demonstrate the capacity
of the voters at large TO consider ques-
tions OF principle and vindicate once
more the wisdom OF government by the
people, And all because democracy has
produced so great an American as
Hughes.
The crisis has found the Man.
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