Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-09
WILL NOT Be QUOTED
Gov. Hughes Objects to Being
interviewed.
GIVES VIEWS IN SPEECHES
Certain Republican Leaders Curious
About His Platform.
HIS PUBLIC UTILITIES LAW
Obligations of the State to the
Peeole-Responsibility Of
the Executive.

| IA4S CAVS0I4NSs
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and tn
| Chicago dHerad.
ALBANY, n. Y, December 6, 1907.
Certain republican leaders insist tina
Gov. Hughes should announce his view
on certain public questions before he. il
proposed as a presidential candidate TO-
the republican party. They complain tina
they do not know where he stands on tn
tariff, the currency, the Philippine policy
the trusts, the Cuban problem. Chimes
exclusion, steamship subsidies and othel
important matters of national policy
They want to know what sort of republi
can they are asked to support, ane
| the more frequently the governors name
I is mentioned in connection with the
| presidency the more agitated they be-
come. The New York papers have
| been making canvasses of the state
and they have discovered that the senti
ment among the newspaper editors, COM
mitteemen, and republican local leaders
| is generally in favor of Hughes, provided
Theodore Roosevelt is honest when he
says that he does not want third term.
Every time a canvass like this is pub
lished the old warhorses snort and paw
the ground. They don't like Roosevelt
and they don't know Hughes. They have
been unable to approach him; but his ad-
ministration of the executive Office thus
far has not been according to their taste.
He is too impartial. He thinks evidently,
that a democrat is just as good as re-
patronage or the influence of the state
administration to be used for partisan
purposes. So far as the promotion of re-
publican interests in the state is con-
cerned, there might as we'll be democrat
in the governors chair. And now they
about Hughes for President.
The governors intimate friends explain
that he is not in the habit of delivering
opinions on any subject at the demand
habit of concealing his views on public
questions when occasion requires. He
talks freely upon every subject before the
American people, with one exception (and
that is the presidency. and he is ready
to declare himself frankly if called upon
in proper manner. But he will not be
interviewed for the newspapers or for the
satisfaction of political wire-pullers.
Refuses to Be Quoted.
Gov. Hughes sees the newspaper men Of
Albany in a body at II o'clock in the
morning for the evening papers and at )
clock in the afternoon for the morning
papers, and talks freely with them upon
the understanding that he shall not be
quoted. He explains what he has done
and what he intenus to do and the reasons,
am the boys" respect his confidence.
He has never been betrayed. The
same understanding existed between
President Mckinley and the newspaper
correspondents at Washington, and con-
tinues with President Roosevelt.
But Gov. Hughes, like President Roose-
Welt will hjroSo1f tn no tod
on public questions. If he has anything
to say he prepares it carefully and de-
livers it in the form of speech, for
which he is constantly in demand, at
banquets, conventions and other gather
ings. He talked with me freely for half
an hour, with the understanding that
should not publish what he said. And his
secretary, Mr.. Robert H. Fuller. veteran
newspaper man, furnished me with file
of the political speeches Gov. Hughes has
cover a large variety of topics. From
these public utterances the politicians and
the people may learn where he stands
upon several public questions.
To End Abuses Without Injustice.
For example, his attitude toward the
corporations is expressed in a speech
delivered October IS, when he said: lone
of the fundamental purposes of this ad-
ministration is to vindicate the adequacy
of our institutions, to put. an end to
abuses without tumult or disorder with
out injustice or demagoguery, and, in
patient. deliberate, but none the less Wig
orous manner, to insist upon the recogni-
ton of public rights. A difficult problem
Of first Importance was presented In con-
nection with our public service corpora
tions. 1t was our object to remove this
from the field of reckless agitation and
provide to the fullest extent consistent
with constitutional requirements methods
of investigation and redress through
which the public obligations could be en-
forced and public safety and convenience
be conserved. Means have been pro-
vided to prevent the repetition of the
wrongs which have been committed in the
past. 1t Is believed that the necessary
publicity will be procured and the rights
of the public investors will be safeguard
ed. and that the public will be protected
from the reckless exploits of the un-
scrupulous, who hitherto have had their
way without effective restraint. l be-
lieve most thoroughly in the efficient reg
ulation of public service corporations. |
believe that their trans actions should be
conducted under the public eye; that they
should be compelled to furnish the serv-
ice which they are bound by their charters
to render. and that all their public obli-
cations should be vigorously enforced
But If anybody has doubts as to the
attitude of Gov. Hughes on railway reg
new public utilities law of New York of
which he was the author. to find that it
goes farther in the way of the regulation
of all public service corporations than any
other law that was ever passed.
Functions of States.
Gov. Hughes is not in favor of centrali-
zation of power in the federal government
In speech made by him at Utica he
said: Federal powers and state powers
are exercised in different spheres. Con.
gross has complete authority over inter
state commerce, but. however broadly in.
terstate commerce is defined there will re-
main the problem of transportation wholly
within the state, and of other local public
| services, over which Congress has no pow
| err to exert such influence. And any state
| that sets high standard Of state super
| vision will contribute powerfully toward
| similar action in other Jurisdictions anC
the establishment throughout the country
of proper administrative standards"
| There seems to be general appreciation
| throughout the country of the new public
| utilities law passed last winter by the
| New York legislature, and the official.
| here have been called upon to furnish In
formation Oh that subject to political lead
ers and economies and officials In half thu
| states in the Union.
| Gov. Hughes proceeds to say that '.Ev
cry question of rate or fare, of safety ap
pliance or of suitable equipment and ia
cilties, is q question primarily for tn,
| legislature, which, within constitutions
limits, has a right to define the obliga
fi0Y1