New-York tribune., 1918-08-29
Hilles, Beck, Henry Taft
and Others Promise
aggressive Support
His Record Is Praised
Sincerity in Office Said to
Merit Advancement to
Higher Post

United States Senator James W.
Wadsworth, jr., and twenty-six other
prominent Republicans sent a letter
Yesterday to Attorney General Merton
=. Lewis assuring him of their lag
gressive support" in his primary con-
test against Governor Whitman.
Among the signers were Ex-Governor
Horace White, James M. Beck, Henry
". Taft, brother Of ex-President Taft;
Charles D. Hilles, former chairman of
the Republican National Committee;
James R. Sheffield, president of the
Republican Club; Nicholas Murray
Butler, president of Columbia Uni
versity; Mortimer L. Schiff, William
Barnes, Harvey D. Hinman, who op-
posed Governor Whitman in the pri
maries in 1914, and Job Hedges, Re-
publican candidate for Governor in
1912.
Other signers were Senator George
Cromwell, ex-senator Edgar Truman
Rrackett, ex-senator Nathaniel A..
Elsberg, Meier Steinbrink, aid to
Charles E. Hughes in the aircraft in
vestigation; Senator Elon R. Brown,
ex-Judge William NJ. K. Olcott, James
A. Burden, R. Ross Appleton, Robert
C. Morris, Frank H. Platt, Senator
Henry NJ. Sage, William L. Ward, John
A. Sleicher, William Muldoon, Francis
High Praise Is Given
The letter follows:
1.-THE undersigned desire to assure
you of their support at the approach
ing Republican primaries for the NOM
nation for Governor. We do this out
OF respect for the consistent and faith
ful manner in which you have per-
formed your duties as Attorney Cen
eral. You have exercised the functions
Of that office in an intelligent, sane,
impersonal, conservative, law abid-
ing manner. Likewise we recog-
nize the efficient work done by
your office under your direction
in the official Investigations made
plotting against the government on the
part of disloyals.
Your endeavor to restore to its full
effectiveness party government, with
Its consequent responsibility as an in
strument for creating and maintaining
sound public opinion in governmental
policies and administration, inspires
confidence, and appeals directly and
persuaslyely to enrolled Republicans.
Your position that amendments to the
Constitution of the United States
should be ratified only when they re-
fleet the opinion of the voters of
the state directly expressed is
consistent, logical and fully within
the spirit of the Constitution. At this
moment when the public mind is en-
crossed with the necessary success of
the Allies in arms, there is natural
tendency to haste in matters that are
not OF themselves vital necessities to
the winning Of the war. But this haste
might work unexpected and untold
evil. Unusual and unprecedented au-
thorlty transferred to governmental
executive authority is only loan, and
title in the people has not been lost.
Inc restoration of government in
us executive and administrative pur-
poses is problem before the Ameri-
can people second only in importance
70 winning the war.
Real Support Pledged
Your ambition to be Governor,
frankly announced, commends itself
70 all who hate hypocrisy, believe in
sincerity and are committed to the
ooctrine that public Office is q sacred