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Show HUGHES REPLIES TO PRESIDENT'S LATESTSPEEGH Calls Attention to How Administration Ad-ministration Changed Its Mind Regarding Preparedness Pre-paredness Question. ROCHESTER PEOPLE CHEER CANDIDATE Four Stirring1 Addresses Delivered De-livered During the Day in Some of Larger Cities of Central New York. ROCHESTER, N. T., Oct. 27. Charles E. Hughes tonight replied to statements in President Wilson's Cincinnati speech concerning preparations to meet commercial com-mercial competition after the "war. Mr. Hughes told an audience here that the administration's views reminded remind-ed hiio of its views on preparedness in December, 1914, which were afterward changed; that he considered the antidumping anti-dumping provision of the revenue bill, intended to meet the situation, as "farcical" "far-cical" and "worse than t useless, " to protect American -workmen; and that even if the percentage of exports of commodities to supply armies was small, it required but very little "to contract or destroy the prosperity of the coun-try." coun-try." The nominee addressed an audience that cheered him repeatedly. He told them that, as ho had been while governor gov-ernor of New York, he was now and should be in the future; that he was willing to stand or fall by what he believed be-lieved to bo right. Far From Ready. "It was said in December, 1914," Mr. Hughes asserted, "that America was read'; that any suggestion to tho contrary was thoughtless. But, in truth, America was far from ready. It is now said with reference to the commercial rivalry that America is ready. I think, in truth, that America is far from ready, and that we shall not be ready until wo have a clearer notion of what we may expect." Mr. Hughes cited statistics of imports to answer the president's declaration that everything exported from the United States to supply armies does not total 1 per cent of the total of American Ameri-can commerce. After stating the increases in-creases in chemicals, brass, breadstuffs, I iron and steel, cotton and other commodities, com-modities, Mr. Hughes declared that exportation ex-portation of explosives, including cartridges, car-tridges, had increased from $.'5,000,000 to $407,000,000 in one year, with an increase in-crease in total exports of $2,000,000,000. The nominee said he was "amazed at the suggestion1 ' that it was such a small percentage that "it could hardly affect the great remaining percentage. ' ' Easy to Destroy. "Why, if you had the greatest distress dis-tress in this country," Mr. Hughes said, "you would still have a tremendous volume of commerce and trade. Jt does not take much to contract the prosperity of this country, to destroy the prosperity prosper-ity of this country. . The great percent-ape percent-ape of our exchanges and of our commerce com-merce would continue, even if we were in very serious straits. "When von infuse this abnormal demand de-mand to which I have referred vou have given a stimulus which undouhtedlv is felt throughout the country, and vben you have a policy carried in,o effect, such as -was involved in the Underwood bill, the contraction resulting from that policy, although perhaps a small percentage, per-centage, was enough to send hundreds and thousands of working men into the street. "Let us not deceive ourselves. Let us take account of what is necessary for the protection of onr industry and let us have it understood that we are doing it, not to give benefits to a few, but to provide a basis for prosperity for the many. Wilson's Theory. "It is said, nfter scoffing at the miTestion that is mado with respoct to competition with an energized En-rope En-rope after suggesting that America is able to tako care of itself, implying, of course, with the present governmental policies after saying there is no such thing, then it is said, well, we have made provision with respect to it in our anti-dumping clause, in our revenue bill. And anybody that is going to threaten American industry and anybody who will in any way interfere with our conditions con-ditions hero may have to pay a few thousand dollars fiue or go to jail." Fourth Speech of Day. Mr. Hughes's speech here tonight was the fourth one of the day. In his first address, at Ullra, he devoted much of his time to his tariff views and Americanism. American-ism. He reiterated his denial that a vote for him meant a vote for war. A t Auburn t he nominee assailed the (Continued on page Three.) HUGHES REPLIES TO PRESIDENT'S SPEECH (Continued from Page One,) administration for iis alleged failure to observe the merit system In making appointments ap-pointments and declared for a '"fair and equitable retirement system" for civil service employees. "I want to see men who are devoting their lives to the civil service held to high . standards of efficiency," Mr. Hughes said, "and at the same time to promote in every practicable way the system, sys-tem, including a fair and equitable retirement re-tirement system." The nominee declared that to meet European Eu-ropean competition after the war "America "Amer-ica has got to build and maintain a new American policy." He added that America Amer-ica also should have "a sound American forelgri policy which will provide, so far as intelligent action can provide, a back- , ing for American enterprise." lie did not propose to treat "business men as suspicious characters." he said, "nor to' put the brakes on tne wheels of Industrial progress." although he opposed op-posed every tendency or policy which looks toward discrimination or monopolistic monopo-listic production. Believes Election Sure. In.his Auburn speech Mr. Hughes dev-nounced dev-nounced the statement that a vote for him meant a vote for war an "false, unworthy, un-worthy, preposterous and insincere." He again expressed the conviction that he would be elected and the audience cheered adding that If he were he would have "competent business heads" f.or the war and navy departments. ! The administration's alleged lack of preparedness when the national guard ' was mobilized was assailed by Mr. , Hughes In his speech at Geneva. "The defects in the system which were ! revealed were defects which a reasonable oversight could easily have prevented," he said. "There were defects in many directions. 6S you all know, with respect to equipment, rifles, uniforms and horses. We had artillerymen without guns and cavalrymen without horses. We had a very serious lack of equipment. We were troubled even In the transportation facilities fa-cilities which were provided." Unnatural Prosperity' America's present prosperity was characterized char-acterized as "an unnatural prosperity," a false prosperily. "Oh, it is a dreajn," he said. "It is an intoxication due to abnormal conditions. You will have a very rude awakening." The nominee declared that at the close of the war the European demnnd for American Ameri-can products would diminish "and you will find the demand for labor which now exists, due to this condition, ended." Mr. Hughes assailed the Democratic policy of a tariff fur revenue only and the claim tiiat a protective tariff was unconstitutional. uncon-stitutional. "Nothing of that kind ever had the support of the electorate," he declared, "and if that is t he sort of doctrine which Is to be maintained In the twentieth century, cen-tury, good-by prosperity to the United States." At another point In his speech he asked how conditions after the war were to be met. "They are not to be met by scoffing," he replied. "They are not to be met by talking about an alert and Intelligent America. They are not to be met by talking to the American people about their ability." The entire country would be affected by post-bellum conditions, he said, "and there will be no isle of safety for anyone." Capital and labor, Mr. Hughes said, should co-operate. "We can shipwreck : the ship of state very easily," he said, j "U won't sail straight with a mutinous: crew. We have got to all work to- i gethr.r in this country or we will come to grief." ; At CJeneva, as the train was pulling out, an elderly man, carrying a musket, tried to clamber aboard the rear platform plat-form of Mr. Hughes's private car. He was uncertain In his movements, hut finally gained a foothold on the step. The detectives guarding Mr. Hughes shouted to him to get off and when he disregarded disre-garded the warning they took the musket from him and with a blow knocked him from his position. After the incident It was thought the old man had intended to present the weapon to the nominee. |