New-York tribune., 1922-08-18
Harding Keeps
Hughes Out of
Ohio Politics
Vetoes Suggestion That Sec
retary of State Deliver
Keynote at Convention;
Duties More Important
Thinks 1T Undignified
President Said TO Feel Cabi-
net Members Should Stick
to Work at This Time
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17.--president
Harding to-day vetoed the plan of
Ohio Republicans to have Secretary of
State Charles E. Hughes deliver the
Keynote" address at the Ohio Repub-
lican convention. The proposal to have
Mr.. Hughes sound the issues of the
campaign in the Presidents home state
was submitted to the President by his
close friend, Garini Thompson, who has
been nominated for Governor, and by
DR.. Simeon D. Fess, who has been nom
mated for United States Senator
against At1ee Pomerene. They brought
the suggestion from the Ohio Republi-
con state committee.
The Ohio Republicans have been
rather enthusiastic about Mr.. Hughes
as keynoter ever since the Taft
Bryan campaign Of 1908, when Mr..
Hughes, who at the time had been seri-
#ously regarded for the Presidential
nomination, delivered the most ter
rife broadsides against the Commoner
and his policies which were ever
launched from political platform.
The speech of Mr.. Hughes at that
time was quoted all over the country,
and the Hughes line of attack consol-
idated by most of the Republican ora
tors, resulting in the landslide, which
up until 1920 posed as something a
record.
No Time for Politics
President Harding announced fatty
to his callers, however, that he did
not regard this as. fitting time for
Cabinet members to be taking part in
partisan politics. With the acute in
dustrial crisis now confronting the
country, he told the two Ohio standard
bearers, the full brain power OF the
Administration should be centered on
the problems involved in that, instead
of worrying about this or that politi-
cal advantage to be gained here or
there.
There was some surprise in Wash
lngton tonight over this decision of
the President, but not to those who
are familiar with the Presidents views
as to just what is "becoming" and
what is got becoming" Mr.. Harding
has a very keen appraisal of what the
man out in the country is apt to think
about q thing.
Hughes Flooded With Work
The President frequently refuses to
do this or that because he feels that
WIG SOAsltiS WOQiO IlOt ~ UECOUl-
ing Of him to be doing something
which the country may Judge as tri-
iling or picayune during real crisis.
He has none of Woodrow Wilson'S dis
dain for that sort of thing.
Most observers here are confident
that Secretary Hughes has not been
one of those advising the President
during the strike situation. Mr..
Hughes has been piled up with work
of another character, accumulated DUR
ing the pressure on him through the
long months of the armament limita-
ton conference.
The feeling, therefore, is that it is
rot because Mr.. Hughes is needed in
Washington on account OF the indus
rial situation, but because the Presi-
dent does not want the country to
think the Administration is vitality con-
cerned with politics at time when
such disaster is confronting the
nation.
Mr. Thompson and Representative
Fess discussed other possible selec-
tions with the President, but deferred
making decision until they shall have
received the opinions of the state
leaders in Ohio.
While it is intended that the state
campaign shall proceed in every way
as the President would wish, in view.
of its overwhelming importance to him
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