Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-11
HUGHES ON THE SPIT
"Ameners" Toast and Roast
Him at a Notable Feast.
TOO MUCH INDEPENDENCE
Would Not Even Act as Agent Of
Theodore Roosevelt.
GOVERNOR DEFENDS HIMSELF
He Declares That He is Going to Be
the Executive From His
Viewpoint. "a
GOVERNOR DEFENDS HIMSELF

NEW YORK, February 11.-Gov. Hughes
narrowly escaped impeachment Saturday
night. Only his readiness of speech and
sincerity of manner saved him from that
fate Five minutes after he had begun his
defense his critics were clambering up on
the tables of the Fifth Avenue Hotel BAN
quet room, to the imminent danger OF tho
terrapin, In order to wave their napkins
with more vigor and to set the dishes rat
| Ting with their roars of applause. The oc-
CASTOR Of this important political event was
the seventh annual dinner Of the Amen Cor
ner, which Is dedicated to the preservation
Of the best political traditions of the old
hotel. and the governor was the chief guest.
Long before the direct assault upon him
was made he had come to know that he
was not to be spared, for many other dig
nitaries Of public life had been toasted to a
turn before he was reached. not excepting
Mr.. Roosevelt. The function was in the
form of state legislature. Louis Seibold.
president OF the Ameners, being the speak
err. The governors turn was reached when
a committee to report on the application
Of certain citizens Of Newburg. Washington.
Rochester. Albany and at sea, both af1oat
and ashore" came forward.
His Heinous ''Misdeeds."
Some of the misdeeds OF which the gov
ernor was accused were that since his cleo
ton he had refused to act as the legfsla
ture and would not do its work. and that
he had adhered to this strange policy until
many members were put to great troubls
to learn what the costitutlon was, whether
animal. vegetable or mineral that he had
appointed one Stevens. "a man of notorious
honesty and other dtsQualiflcattons, to high
official place without regard to the feelings
of one Wadsworth. one Aldricn, one Par
sons, one Roosevelt. one Hendricks" and
others. and that he had declined with hor-
rible depravity. ito act as the agent of ono
Theodore Roosevelt in conducting the gov
eminent OF the state OF New York"
On motion of Speaker Seibold IT was de-
cided to give Governor Hughes an oppor-
tunity to defend himself. and this Is what
he said, the serious note that punctuated
the festivity OF the merry aggregation OF
parodists. and one that was heard with re-
spectful silence:
'I have had many strange experiences
since the first of January, but this Is the
strangest. 1 have been acquitted OF being
a republican. Some persons have said that
l was acquitted November U, but some
others have said that II is only a good re-
publican that democrats will vote for. The
fact Is that as governor OF New York l am
neither a republican nor democrat. am
simply endeavoring as representative OF
the people to do my duty by them. and IL
any credit attaches to my doing so 1 shall
be glad il the republican party gets a large
share Of It.
Set Himself a High Ideal.
81 was elected to transact the business
of the state in the way 1t should be trans
acted, and that am endeavoring TO do. al
though no one knows how difficult 1t Is. or
how far short I have fallen OF the ideal
set for myself. The routine business OF the
Office could not be adequately transacted
II there were ten days in week and forty,
eight hours in every day. so what time Is
there left for constructive EFFORT? t
The people have done with the men VINO
will use public Office for their own benefit.
1 was not elected to play politics and 1
Antr. mt o.
build up a machine and am not building
one. was not elected to set faction against
faction or to facilitate personal ambitions
and am not doing so. Any private citi-
zen who comes in the executive chamber
receives as cordai greeting as any other
man, whether or not he be of the same po-
litical faith as the temporary occupant OF
that chamber. 90 -.'+sf
1.-The threatened opposition between the
legislative and the executive departments
of the state Of New York OF which much
has been said. has no basis. The relations
between the two are cordial and Corpora
tive, consulting the wishes of the peope
What New York Will Get. q.
There are great many problems to be
solved for the city of New York. and when
New York gets together in behalf of better
transportation, better police protection or
ANYTHING else of public concern, you may
depend upon 1t that 1t will get what IL Is
entitled to. We are all together in the de-
sire that all shall be done fairly and square
ly and In the open, and the credit of doing
the things the public wants shall be just
distributed where II belongs, just as the
blame. il there shall be neglect or wrong
doing. shall be justly and severely metet
out" - t',s-
Apart from Governor Hughes. the chief
guests of the evening were Lieutenant Gov
ernor CHAMBER. Senator Depew. B. b. Odell,
5r; Edward II. Hartman, Col. George c.
Treadwell Of the governors stan and Rey.4
Donald Sage Mackaye but In the general
company were judges. sof the Supreme
Court and eminent representatives of all
classes OF public life, the bar. politics. the
pulpit Wall street. corporation interest," %.
lneAicine, Newspaper work and % On. 1891