York, there was too much Bryan about him. The Republicans would
have none of him, except as a choice of evils,--the greater evil
being defeat. They called him ribald names. They referred to him
scornfully as "Wilson with whiskers," when they ran him,
reluctantly, for the Presidency in 1916. His opponent being also of
the Bryan school, and a minister's son at that, Hughes striving for
an issue, failed to make it clear which was which, a doubt that
remained until the last vote from California was finally counted
after the election. This was the Mr. Hughes of the earlier manner.

Latterly, Mr. Hughes has succeeded in establishing the distinction
which he did not succeed in making during that campaign. When he
confronted the task of Secretary of State, he carefully studied the
international career of Woodrow Wilson, as a sort of inverse
Napoleon, a sort of diplomatic bad example.

"This," he said to himself, "was a mistake of Wilson," and he noted
it. "And this," he observed thoughtfully, "was another mistake of
Wilson. I shall avoid it." "This," he again impressed on his
memory, "was where Lloyd George and Clemenceau trapped him. I shall
keep out of that pit."

His head, like a book of etiquette, is full of "Don'ts," diplomatic
"Don'ts," all deduced from the experience of Wilson.

The former President met Europe face to face. Mr. Hughes thanks his
stars for the breadth of the Atlantic. The former President put his
League of Nations first on his program. Mr. Hughes puts his League
of Nations last, to be set up after every other question is
settled.