Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-06
Declares That the Governor Is Not
Practical Politician.
HIGH-MINDED AND IMPARTIAL
His Critics Claim That He Is an
1dealist and Not Enough Of Par
tisan for His Own Good.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.


BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
NEW YORK June g. 1907.
As told you the other day, Gov Hughes
is not a candidate for the presidency and
does not intend to become one; at least,
that is the situation at present, but no one
can tell what the future may bring forth
He, like other forceful characters, Is a
man Of destiny, and his future is likely to
be influenced by events as they occur.
During recent session Of the republican
state committee Benjamin d. Odell for
m1schievous reasons. introduced q resolu-
ton 1ndorsing the governor for President
next year. The resolution was tabled by a
vote Of thirty-two to four. This was not
in any sense a reflection upon the governor.
The vote had no significance whatever ex-
cept as a rebuke to Mr.. Odell, whose nose
is very much out Of joint and who is look
ing for trouble. The only men who voted
for his resolution were his intimate friends
and his only remaining adherents Of i'm
portance. Mr.. Odell is undoubtedly one of
the most adroit politicians in the country
and as a campaign manager has few equals.
But events and incidents with which he
was connected have caused him to be de-
posed from the head Of the republican
state committee and at present he is still
counted with the down and out" He has
no connection with any Of the presidential
candidates and only desires to make trouble
for President Roosevelt and the present re-
publican organization, of which Representa-
tive Herbert Parsons a young lawyer, a
raduate of Yale in the class of 1890, and
a SON in-laW of Henry CeWs, the banker,
is the chairman.
Mr.. Parsons represents President Roose-
welt and the republican organization is in
sympathy with the President with the ex-
ception Of, perhaps, four five of the
thirty eight members Mr.. Odell does not
care any more for Gov. Hughes than for
any other man who has been spoken of
for the presidency, and Gov Hughes was
very much disguised with his performance
at the recent committee meeting.
Mr.. Odell has been talking in favor Of
Vice President Fairbanks, and there is a
report that he will try to secure a Fair
banks delegation from New York state to
the next. republican national convention
But II he makes any such attempt 1t will be
for his own benefit and will do Mr.. Fair
banks more damage than good
No Boss In New York Now.
At present there is no boss in New York.
Physical inf1rmities and domestic scandals
have put the Easy Boss out of commits
sion. and he is now an almost helpless in
valid, lodged in an humble apartment house
in an obscure neighborhood in charge Of a
former servant who is nursing him and try
ing to prolong hts life as much as possible.
Mr.. Platt is alienated from his sons as we'll
as from his wife, and is an unhappy, help
less old man. He has lost the respect
we'll as the leadership Of his party, and
there is none, too poor to do him reverence.
For nearly three-quarters of a century the
republican organization of the state has
been controlled by a succession of leaders
Of great intellectual ability and political
c a ora ty-Thnrl0w Weed William Fl Sew.
ard, Reuben E. Fenton, Roscoe Conkling,
Warner Miller and Thomas c. Platt-but
there Is no boss" now People are expect
ing that Theodore Roosevelt will assume
leadership when he retires from the White
House. He Is the actual dictator Of the
party policy now, although he works indi-
rectly through Mr.. Parsons and others, and
he controls the machine He comes as near
being a boss anybody, and II he lives
after the close of his term no one else will
occupy that position. He may not attempt
to exercise all Of the functions which for
mer bosses have undertaken to perform, but
he will permit no other single republican to
control the deliberations and the nominal
tons Of his party.
York republicans that the President will be
the successor of Mr.. Platt, who retires from
the United States Senate on the Sd of
March, 1909, the same day that he will re-
tire from the White House, SO that he will
simply move his portable property from one
end Of Pennsylvania avenue to the other.
This is the Presidents ambition, and no
talk about third term can divert him
way likely to interfere with the program is
Governor Hughes, and at present he has no
such intention.
Gov. Hughes Career.
Nevertheless, Gov. Hughes must be reck-
oned as an important factor in the future
politics of New York state. Everybody
here declares that he is no politician; that
he has no political sagacity; that he is too
direct and positive in his methods and is
liable to sacrifice his prospects for a princi-
Pile at any time. Nevertheless, that sort
of men are apt to make the most successful
politicians; the same sort Of attributes
adorn the character of the President of the
United States, and he is the most success
full politician that know of.
Gov. Hughes was forty-f years old April
II last He ia the son of Baptist preach
er and is an active member of that church.
He has recently been elected president Of
a national association of Baptists He was
was only nineteen years old, taught in the
academy at Delhi, N. Y, for two years.
studied at Columbia Law School and took
prize fellowship in 1884, was admitted to
the bar upon graduation and began practice
In New York city Immediately. In 1891
he was elected to the faculty of the School
of Law of Cornell University and filled the
lectureship for several years He has been
prominent q member Of the Bar Asso-
citation Of New York city and state, has
taken a high place among the corporation
lawyers Of that city, and is at the head of
the firm of Hughes, Rounds & Schurman.
Because of his peculiar abilities he was
lected to manage the legislative investiga-
ton of the life insurance companies and
first made national reputation in that way.
He has been active republican all his
life and has usually run with the ma
chine although he has been extremely
critical Of candidates and has been classed
with the reform element in his party He
was nominated as the republican candidate
for mayor Of New York in 1905, but de-
clined. and accepted the nomination for
governor last fall with great reluctance.
He finally accepted in a speech in which he
defined the policy that he would pursue if
elected, and he Is now trying to carry 1t out
Gov. Hughes Policy.
when 1 became governor" he said not