HUGHES WILL STAND

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 103, 24 January 1908, Page 7

HUGHES WILL STAND

AMERICAN PRESIDENCY. BRYAN THE DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE. UT TKI.ECIUPJI—pitESS ASSOCIATION—CQI'YRIGHT . Now Yoj'k, January 22, Tho Democrats intend nominating Mr. W. J. Bryan at tho Denver Convention in July. Mr. C. E. Hughe3, Governor of New York, in a letter to the 'Republican Club, announces th,it ho is willing tp accept nomination for tho Presidency against Mr. Taft. CANDIDATES' ,CHA|MCES. Secretary Taffs candidacy, according to some of the Home papers, lias been suffering through a_ lack of personal push. He is credited with saying, in a speech at Manila, that in two years he hoped to visit the Philippines again as a private individual.' Such speeches, to 'say the' 'least, have a : chilling effect -upon those who are trying to pump •enthusiasm into the Taft "boom." ' The New York correspondent of "The Times" writes"Notwithstanding Mr. Hughes's apparent indifTerenco to the activities of professional politicians, he has by n series of clover phrases in recent speeches com, pletely hypnotised the financial interests' of the State, whose antagonism to the President has been increasing at such a rate that it has now crystallised' into opposition to Mr. Taft, who twelve months ago was regarded by the so-called 'Conservative interests' as having all the essential 'qualities for a safe, and sound executive magistrate, ' ' Thesq gentlemen are apparently opposing Mr. 'l'aft for no other reason/than, that he is the President's first choice. ,

"It may be urged that those who have been engaging in (luostionable financing, and in the corrupt management"of Trusts and corpora? tions, will faro no better at the hands of a "straitlaced' Baptist gentleman .with a conscience like Mr. Hughes than at the hands of his more genial, though not less absolutely incorruptible, antagonist:, Mr, Taft, This is true, hut, aside ,frbiu the desire to get even with tho President, the"financial interests discern a difference iii tho methods of Mr. Hughes, which may' count largely ! in (thoir favour. 'While professing to stand for the Roosevelt policies..Governor Hughes has distinctly given out in several speeches that his way of carrying theso reforms into effect will not bo the Roosevelt way! , ' . "Some of these speeches have, been construed as .rather insidious criticisms of the President. '. . 'I also believe in the reign of justice and in the patient consideration' of every Question .to the end that it may be settled in a spirit of fairness. I have no more confidence in vengeful methods and arbitrary, legislation—in .those politicians who endeavour to make selfish profit out of ip'ublic wrongs— than I liavq in the sycophants of. corporate power.' 1 am 'not contending that Governor Hughes deliberately iutends these as covert: attacks on tho President's policies or methods, but . such phrases are eagerly seized by the anti-Administration Press, or utilised as texts for open attacks. "The speeches of Governor Hughes, as I have said, htivo formed the text for a new line of attack on in which it is alleged that it 'is not his aims,' but -'his mothods,' that are wrong. . ~ Had the Prosit dent,, some critics say, >devoted ns much, energy to the enforcement of the law as he has to the agitation, for now legislation it would have been probable some of the 'malefactors' would actually bo in gaol. Mr. Roosevelt's best friends must admit, that ho scatters his vast energies in too many directions." Of Mr. Bryan, as the Democrats' candidate; the correspondent remarks that his prpspocts of ultimate success aro not regarded as brilliant: The "Wnrl<(" piiys that his nomination, wjll ensure the success of anY Republican candidate, an oplulgii whM>ia echoed by many New York journals, and by a certain segtioir of the Democratic "Press.