Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-12


Office. but because he has no taste for
politics or for executive responsibility. His
education, his career and his ambitions
have all led in the other direction. The
retirement of Mr.. Choate, the death of
Mr. Carter and the appointment Of Mr..
Root as Secretary of State left a vacancy
at the head of the New York bar which
Mr.. Hughes was anxious to fill, and his
admiring friends are confident that he
might have been SO recognized If the gov
ernorship had not been thrust upon him.
They have sublime confidence in his abi-
ity and in his destiny also, and sympa-
thiZe with his Indifference toward the
presidency which, if he should be nomi-
mated and elected, will forever prevent
him from attaining the particular dis
tinction he covets. They admit that al
most any ordinary man would estimate
the presidency of the United States as
greater distinction than the leadership of
the New York bar, but assert that Gov.
Hughes is not an ordinary man. and that
he naturally is disinclined to be diverted
from the paths of distinction which his
ambition has marked out for him.
Popular Impression Wrong.
1t is the prevailing impression that Gov.
Hughes is cold-blooded, keen, tireless
lawyer, without much grace or gracious
ness. But those who are Intimately as
ISOLATED with him here and have known
him closely in New York give him a very
different reputation. They insist that
he is affectionate, genial and generous,
always considerate and thoughtful of the
happiness and welfare of others. and that
his code of personal and professional
honor is very strict and very high. He
has very few cronies, however; he is not
given to condolences. He Is reserved and
undemonstrative: he has perfect self-con-
troll and never shows either joy, grief or
temper. He has keen sense of humor
and tells good story, but he never
laughs at his own jokes and expresses
his appreciation of the jokes of others
with a smile only He never laughs
aloud. He has no fads. He has no sports.
He does not ride horseback or play golf
or tennis o. take long walks over muddy
roads in tt rain. He never volunteers
an opinion on any subject. He acquired
that habit in his law office. where his
opinions were sold at rather high prices,
although he has never had the reputation
OF charging large fees. He had a large
and important practice. but his profess
sional income is said to have been only
about $4,000 a year. Other lawyers say
that Hughes never charged anybody as
mucl as his services were worth. He re-
ceived $4,000 fee for his work with
the legislative insurance committee last
year. although very few men of his pro-
fessonal standing would have been salts
fed with less than $4,000.
Of Tireless Industry.
He is man of tireless industry AS
one of his friends said. His only vice is
overworking." He appears at the execu-
tive chamber in the state house at 9
o'clock every morning, where he expects
Mr. Robert H. Fuller, his private secre-
tary. and Col. George Curtis Treadwell,
his military secretary, to have his mail
ready for him, and. with short interval
for luncheon, he works uninterruptedly
until $50 or in the evening. Then he
goes home to dinner, but often returns
to the state house again and remains
there till midnight, or until he clears his
desk
Col Treadwell, who has occupied a
similar relation to several other gov
ernors, says that Mr.. Hughes dispatches
business more rapidly than any man he
has ever known. and looks after the de-
tails of administration more thoroughly
than any of his predecessors. He has a
very keen eye for details, and in visiting
state institutions goes through them from
garnet to cellar and notices everything
He makes no notes, but carries his i'm
pressions in his mind and, at the first op-
portunity, calls the attention of the COM
miSsionerS in charge of that particular
institution to the defects he has noticed.
He is making the rounds of the charitable
and educational and reformatory institu-
lions supported by the state, but the Off
i
business at the office happens to be slack,
he sends Col. Treadwell to make the
necessary arrangements and takes the
first train to some hospital or insane
asylum or reform school, and surprises
he superintendent and his assistants He
does the same with the National Guard,
n which he takes a great interest. Like
he Emperor of Germany. he often turns
up at an arInory at unreasonable and in
convenient times. Previous governors
have left matters of detail to their SUBJ
ordinates, but his bump of inquisitiveness
is very highly developed and he has gone
into everything connected with his ad-
minstration with the same thoroughness
that characterized his practice as
lawyer.
Man of Thoroughness.
1t is said of MIR. Hughes that when pre-
pairing a case he educates himself con-
corning it's technicalities until he be-
comes an expert. He has mastered sew
eral sciences since he graduated from
college. When he was retained by
beet-sugar company he would not go into
court until he had learned enough about
the business to qualify him for superin-
tendent of factory. When he had q suit
| involving a patent for an automatic or