Evening star., 1940-05-31

american TlSIlGS. David Lawrence.
Then as now the Republican party
just before convention time had
not crystallized its desire for any
particular candidate. The poll
clans had various candidates to
offer of the usual type, but dark
horse was constantly being men,
toned.
The name of the dark horse"
was Charles Evans Hughes. For
eight years he had been serving
on the Supreme Court, having re-
nounced political life when he left
the governorship of New York in
1908. The political leaders didn't
want him. Efforts here and there
of friends to corral delegates were
publicly discouraged by Mr.. Hughes.
He went so far as to repudiate the
sponsorship of the late Frank Hitch
cock, political general of re-
nown, who tried to line up delegates
for him.
Only People Wanted Him.
The main reason the old guard
politicians didn't want Hughes was
because they had had no part in
bringing him into prominence and
they knew he would not be under
any obligations to them if he were
elected. Nation wide sentiment for
Hughes was obvious. The late
George Harvey, then editor of the
North American Review, expressed
aptly the peculiarities of the situa-
ton when he published an article
In the spring of 1916 entitled, NO
body Wants Hughes-Nobody but
the People"
The parallel today is that dark
horse is again being mentioned
prominently for the Republican
nomination-Wendell Willkie. The
politicians don't want him. They
have had no part in grooming him
for the nomination and he would
be under no obligations to them.
The evidences of his popular
strength as distinguished from dele
gate strength are such that it
might be said of Willkie that no.
body in the Republican party wants
him-nobody but the rank and file
of the voters.
The arguments advanced in 1916
against the nomination of Mr..
Hughes are similar to those now be-
ing advanced against Wendell Will
kie. 1t was said that the people
wouldn't vote for a man who had
been on the bench for eight years
he was out of touch with the peo-
pie. 1t was said that Hughes was
inf1exible, that he would not know
how to deal with political problems.
SO 1t is being said that a business
man is detached or handicapped.
Yet Wendell Willkie has in the last
few weeks shown he can debate
public issues as well as the veterans
of politics.
Narrowly Defeated.
Mr.. Hughes came so near winning
that but for f1uke of insurgency
in California he might have been
President. 1t was the closest con-
test with one exception in nearly
100 years. He was drafted that year
by public sentiment because he was
the strongest candidate the Repub-
lcans had.
The coming campaign will be
based on war isSues-on the alleged
incapacity of President Roosevelt
to organize America for defense be-
cause it will be asserted his New
Deal policies have sapped the eco
nomic vitality of the Nation and
paralyzed industrial capacity at
time of greatest need. The argu-
ment behind the Willkie candidacy
will be that at this of all times
man of industrial background and
executive ability is needed in the
White House.
Against the nomination of Willkie
1t will be contended that a utility
man could not be elected, that he
would have to bear the burdens of
the financial mismanagement by
utilities in the past even though his
company and his own leadership
have not been besmirched. But
while this type of debate would
have been important a few weeks
ago, the situation in Europe has
changed the picture.
Public opinion Is changing rapidly.
A few weeks ago it was believed
the reelection of Mr.. Roosevelt
was certain. Today this is doubt
full because confidence in the ad-
ministration has been sinking rapid
ly ever since the revelation of the
mistakes made in the defense pro-
gram of the last few years and in
the failure right now to make effec-
tive plans for the future.
The American people have no
hesitancy in changing horses in
midstream, as the British did with
Chamberlain recently. In Novem-
ber, 1918-in the middle of the war
itself-indeed at the climax of the
big battles on the western front,
the people voted the Democrats
out and Republicans into control
Of both houses of Congress, not
withstanding President Wilson'S ap-