A PROBALE PRESIDENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 90, 14 April 1908, Page 4

A PROBALE PRESIDENT.

Although the contest* for'the Presidency of the: United. States' does not reach its climax: till November, the campaign,; is already-well under way. .The* IRepublicans of New- -York State have held* their convention, and* have ■ given -in a general, adherence to President Roosevelt's programme. Astonishing,: as. it sounds, they arc even prepared to support a revision of the' Tarif f—a decision' quite as startling- from the republican: standpoint, as , the-, conversion, of the : -whole ibody ofi Gobdenites to Preferential Trade. But it is 1 an extremely significant: fact that while asserting the value of President Roosevelt's public policy, they have refused to- accept.his: nominee,.Mr. Taft, and have chosen as their candidate for the Presidency the Governor of: New: - York State. Sir. Hughes is a ma.h of exceptional ability and force of character, who has-made a great reputation-for: himself by the bold stand' he "has taken against "graft" and: corruption in his "own State. Bat President Roosevelt; always a man of strong prejudices, does: - not .regard.him as a suitable candidate, and has committed, himself irrevocably to : Mr. Taft. The Republican party: is- , thus placed in a rather- difficult position. rßut there,.is little doubt that the majority of them,, while, clinging to their: traditipnal , policy, regard PresidentRoosevelt as an "unsafe" inah, whose; continued ascendancy may > seriously affect the, commercial. and financial \ stability of- the country. Mr. Taft, they believe, if elected would- be little more; than a ; lay-figure, worked- by President Roosevelt; and in. Mr. Hughes;.a.moderate, well-balanced, yet forceful reformer, they believe ! they have found/ a- useful, set off.to the reckless,audacities-of Presi-' •dent Roosevelt on the one. hand, and 1 -the somewhat visionary enthusiasms of: .Mr. W. J. Bryan oh, the other. It is" still too early to estimate* Governor; Hughefe' chances of success.. But New 1 York State, in: any- case, always. carries weight in the' election; and.between the moderate Republicans, who-are afraid of Roosevelt- and Taft, and the-moderate Democrats, who" are. equally afraid- of Brya.n, and' Who find the wind'taken' out of their sails' by the ; Republican, offer of Tariff Revision, it is at' least certain that Mr. Hughes will command a large following, and that he is a factor, to- be •-seriously reckoned with in' the:-coming campaign.