| Show f Republican Republic n Delegates y x a at Sea Hope for Some Light af on Justice Hughes With the National Convention Only a F Few ew Da Days Y s Off the Outcome Hangs Upon What t He May or May Not Do CHICAGO June 3 With With the Republican national convention only a few few- days off the Ile whole presidential situation S hangs largely upon the attitude of Justice Charles E E. E Hughes toward the nomina nomina- tion It nay may be stated with no possibility of denial that the supreme ti court justice has not told a living soul that he will accept a a i nomination nomination nomination nomina nomina- tion if it comes coines to him Maybe he lie will accept Perhaps he lie he will wilt decline That is s presupposing W. W the con convention will wIll go a ahead ead and place him hun at atthe j the head of the national ticket Of course there is no assurance that it will do so s On the contrary cont contrary con con- t there is considerable doubt about it With unauthorized persons here saying he will accept a nomination and presuming in individuals individuals in in- Jt J there declaring that he will will not it is IN f- f quite proper that the position of Justice Hughes r 4 tow should be understood There are persons person who I know it He said months ago he was not a cant can- can Justice Hughes dilate He meant no lie He is not He does not t intend to be No one has authority from him to use his name No Noone I r one has any authority to state what his views on Americanism are I No one one one- who h has s read his speeches of former years can have any doubt where he stands on the overshadowing overshadowing overshadowing over- over shadowing issues of nation defense and maintenance of ot national honor lionor In 1908 he was for an adequate navy on both oceans No question of war was before the nation He was at that time for the old fashion fashioned d safeguards safeguards safeguards safe safe- guards of American prestige whether in Mexico Port Said Australia or Sin Sin- His friends say that his views on the same vital subjects now when the the national pulse has been quickened and the world is almost a a. huge volcano volcano volcano vol- vol cano can be most picturesquely imag- imag f Ined But he has not discussed is- is L ues He does not intend to discuss issues of any subject would 1 make male him a candidate and he is not nota x a candidate If It by uttering a single phrase he could win the unanimous support of ofa I the Chicago convention he would remain remain re- re a main maln silent His position in the supreme supreme supreme su- su preme court exacts silence and so long as he remains a member of the court he will remain mute It is a a. fair assumption from his record that Justice Hughes has no noy y Intention of Influencing the Chicago v convention In former years when i there was talk of nominating him against his will he remained silent He accepted in each instance when the convention had spoken Those occasions were when he ran for governor governor gov gov- of New York Convention Took Chance I When lie he was in the midst of his I insurance investigation Mr Hughes was asked formally if it he be would accept a nomination for mayor He said he lie would not Timothy Woodruff personally personally personally per- per besought him in his home in r I West Vest End avenue New York The Republicans Republicans Re Re- publicans then were puzzled to get a candidate There was no question concerning Mr liar Hughes' Hughes meaning The next year when the Republicans of Saratoga nominated him they were just as much in the dark concerning what he would do as the party managers managers man man- agers now are They went ahead and he accepted Whether Justice Hughes will accept I Ia a nomination at Chicago is likely to depend entirely on the manner in in which the offer If made comes to him He does not want to enter a political maelstrom That is what a a. nomination nomination nomination nomina nomina- tion would mean But it would not be giving Mr Hughes credit for consistency consistency consistency consist consist- ency bearing in mind his record to assume that he would ignore a reasonably reasonably reasonably rea rea- united call of the Republican party just because he lie likes the work worl of the supreme bench The possibility that defeat might follow fonow a nomination has hot been considered considered considered con con- by Justice Hughes He has not gone far in the matter It would of ot course be absurd to say that he is not aware that he has figured prominently prominent prominent- ly In all the recent speculations re regarding regarding regarding re- re garding the presidency But it ma may maybe maybe be asserted with perfect truthfulness that he has avoided discussion of ot the entire subject except with closest personal personal personal per per- friends and to every one of them he has deprecated the fact that his name has been used Guarded Honor of Bench Justice E Hughes took the steps he thought would be effective to keep his name from being mentioned He di directed directed directed di- di that the name of Hughes be left off oft the primary ballot first in Nebraska another In Oregon He did Con Continued ed on pu page geO 9 9 REPUBLICAN DELEGATES Continued from page 5 5 everything possible to safeguard the sacred reputation o of the supreme court H He shaped shaped his his course course so that no one could ever charge harge that he had misused th the the bench for political purposes and so so that he could continue his work on the bench with the full fuli knowledge that his reco record d' d was s spotless otless Persons Person who were close to him gained the impression that Justice Hughes' Hughes g greatest ambition was to re remain remain remain re- re main on on the bench that if it he could have lave made such course square with his ideas ideas ideas' of f public duty and am public spirit he long ago would have issued a statement In effect that in no circumstances circum circumstances cir cir- cum stances would he accept a nomination nomination nomination nom nom- and would not serve if it elected that he has the greatest devotion to the he will of the people as expressed through a great political party part and that hat if the Republican party expressing express- express Ing ng the spirit and sentiment of the rank ranle and file and not a group of satraps active through political expediency expediency expediency ex ex- ex- ex should nominate him he would very likely Ebel el that he would have to accept And in accepting It was believed he would have no com- com He would not feel that he had lad dragged the supreme court into politics politic Baffles Political Callers I Throughout all ali the discussion over the presidency Justice Hughes pursued pursued pursued pur- pur sued his duties on the bench with constant constant constant con con- stant fidelity None of the Republican leaders who frequently saw him when he was governor has seen him Most of them have not tried Those who sought interviews were told that Justice Justice Jus Jus- tice Hughes was too toe busy to see se anyone anyone any any- one ne except on the most urgent matters mat mat- The statement I 1 am not a 11 candidate candidate candidate can can- was a bar to all ali political political po po- callers as several of them have explained To seek his views views on the Republican situation was technically questioning O ing the si sincerity of this declaration declaration dec dec- Justice Hughes did not at first pay much heed to the talk concerning him He assumed that his position on the bench would discourage those persons who Jo looked ke upon upon him hini in other years as presidential timber But the talk in increased in- in creased Several times he has been on the verge of making a definite statement statement state state- ment absolutely forbidding use of his name that name that being the only statement he could make unless he ho resigned resigned- but he was each time deterred It could not be bo said that it was a secret hope hOP of being the nominee nominee- which restrained restrained re- re strained him The reason it has been said might readily be found in his conduct on former occasions when he her r refused fused to tl do anything to influence the action of a party convention Those most Intimately acquainted with Justice Hughes do not consider any statement that Frank H H. Hitchcock hitchcock Hitch Hitch- cock Governor Whitman William Villiam Hayward Hayward Hayward Hay- Hay ward or Frederick C C. Tanner or any anyone anyone anyone one else has been told privately by Justice Hughes to go ahead It is a reasonably safe assertion that any anyone one of those men are just as uncertain as a total stranger of ot what Justice Hughes may do They ar are taking a chance Question Hitchcock Assertion A few persons of political prominence prominence prominence nence believe that Mr Hitchcock overreached overreached overreached over over- reached himself when he said with some assumption of authority that Justice Hughes would accept A few of the men most deeply interested In having Justice Hughes nominated nominated are somewhat In doubt conc concerning Mr Hitchcock's sincerity in booming Justice JUStice Justice Jus JUS- tice Hughes There is a mysterious intimation in inI intimation in- in about the surcharged atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere atmos atmos- I phere of the Congress hotel that Mr Hitchcock is playing the game of some on one who wishes to get Justice Hughes out of the way The surest way to get a definite and positive declaration from Justice Hughes that further use of his name must be stopp stopped d would be be it is said for some on one officially to make him hima a candidate Unless there is misrepresentation unless it appears appears- that Justice Hughes in being put forward by a political clique as a a. means of thwarting a true expression of the people in the Republican Republican Republican lican party party and and this implies that the people may want Theodore Roosevelt who is by no means regarded by Justice Justice Justice Jus Jus- tice Hughes as a dangerous factor to the peace and good will of America America- I it is to be assumed that Justice Hughes will remain silent until the convention acts and if It chooses him will weigh the situation carefully before taking I a final stand but presumably will accept a nomination Meantime the two big figures in the situation here are are r Justice Hughes and Mr Roosevelt And both are constant constant- constantly ly growing bigger while the favorite sons are growing smaller |
