Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-03
TWO NOTED LAWYERS
Charles E. Hughes Compared
With John w. Golf.
HOW THEY WON REPUTATION
Each Acted as Counsel to an Investi-
eating Committee.
GoFF GOT THE RECoRDERsHIP
Will Hughes Go in for Private Law
Practice or Will He En-
ter Politicsp
GoFF GOT THE REcoRDERsHIF
Written for The Sta

Written for The Star.
1t Is not too much TO say that the repu-
tation made by Charles E. Hughes as coun-
sci for the Insurance Investigation commit
tee has grown rather than otherwise since
the beginning of the legislative session at
Albany. Today at the state capital, in the
city of New York and throughout the en-
tire country, his future career offers an in
teresting topic for discussion.
Having won a reputation as one of the
ablest living examiners in the legal profess
sion, viii he now reach out and take to
himself a practice worth 500, 900 q year, or
perhaps twice that much, such as he can
If he viii? Or viii he enter politics, as he
was urged to last fall, when the republi-
cans of his city sought to make him their
candidate for mayor? What will he do?
1t is no secret that he is not now rich
man. Despite his really extraordinary
ability, about which there is no question
whatever among the lawyers of New York.
he has never been one who has enjoyed
large fees, and he would be an unusual man
indeed If ne were not now to seize the OPP
portunfty to win financial rewards that III
his POWERS.
There is no case in the history of the New
York bar that exactly parallels that of
Mr.. Hughes. The case of John w. Golf
comes nearest it. Golf it will be remem-
committee, whose operations were started
by the irrepressible Dr. Parkhurst Like
Hughes, Goff did his work so we'll that,
whereas he was little known at its begin
nfng, ne emerged from it with almost world
Wlde lame; not SO great perhaps the
fame of Hughes now is, but still very I'M
usual, as would be the fame of any man
who, in any metropolis in the world had
helped upset the established order of things
in municipal government
Eor undoubtedly it was the work of the
LexoW committee that elected Mayor Strong
and the entire reform city ticket in 1894,
was the most potent factor in the commit
tees efficiency.
Golf Became Recorder
John w. Golf got exactly what he want
ed, the recordcrship of the city of New
York. He was elected along with Strong
and the rest of them, preferring four
teen-year term as a criminal judge at the
comfortable salary of $4,000 a year to try
ing his hand at general practice.
Opinions differ as to whether Recorder
Com has completely fulfilled his opportuni-
ties: There is in many quarters a feeling
that he has been too much of a Judge adj
Vocate on the bench. At all events he has
been reversed by the higher courts oftener
than any one who ever sat in the record
ers seat.
However, there is no doubt at all of the
mans unusual ability. If he is something
of judge advocate, that must be set
down partly to his temperament and part
~ TO his training as a young lawyer
Before the Lexow committee began it's
investigations John W. Golf had been first
assistant district attorney under De Lam
cev Ntcoll, who followed Tohn w Martina
district attorney in the almost prehistoric
days when lie no Jlie II1 ayf9la sold
out the horse railroad franchise on
Broadway to the late Jacob Sharp.
Nfcon was one of Marines assistants,
and both of them made rp0ut9tiOn a Sf
in the conduct of the cases against the
.boodlers," Nichon much the faster of the
two. for MARITIME intrusted the conduct of