New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-06-13
HUGHES WANTS REASON
SPEAKS At COLUMBIA.
Says He Had to Disregard Many
Surprised at Opinions of Him.


columbia made Charles F. Hughes Doctor %
. Laws Yesterday and graduates and undergrad
yates listened to speech full Of optimism an,
ei'''usiasm' delivered by the Governor at tn,
alumni luncheon. Mr.. Hughes said that in III.
executive chamber at Albany he first made III
ms mind what was necessary and then baClye(
by public opinion. got the legislation racessar ~
Having determined that everything should be
regarded In the light OF reason" he said "anr
without other aids. I am somewhat surprised L
ma myself now accused of executive usurpa-
ton"
me Governor said he had turned a deaf ear
t" many who had sought 10 have him DO spec.
'7'uiar things and say vituperative things. be-
cause ne felt the results would not make up foI
''e sacrifice. He made a plea for reason i'm the
consideration Of all things. and said that al
unhss should he done right and that all right
'n'nsS should be done. lie said zeal and en-
. 'h"siasm We're necessary and that brilliant tai
o"tS were useless without them
GOVERNOR HUGHEs's SPEECH
The Governor said. in making what no called
"desultory" remarks
Froi5Ssor Van AmrInge and Fellow Alumni Of
oIu-In,a lnlVersity: | come before you as a
, o,uLllnia man After had left the shelter Of
me college, in which I had the opportunity IF
uoeraI study. it was my good fortune under a
tare'uI Providence. to seek professional educa :
ton within the halls Of Columbia And n wa g
~ great privilege to come directly under the
influence Of one of the great men through whom
1"iuiHola has exercised such potent Influence
Dwight. 'e W
1t was also my privilege for several wears. as
an obscure member Of the teaching staff whose
P'IoIlnanCe runs to higher test than that
described ny the name Of quiz to form a ma RI
~ me notable organization Of the university
aau I'm IN Ihose years Of mighty toll IN connection
of he
most important trial. the most helpful effort
ana. may add. the most delightful associa-
tous that | have ever known.
When / came across the carnp,,s tbts r,,rrir,.
somewhat wearted after night ride an train
I1NlnS left the executive chamber at midnight
'.''er hard day, Professor, or Dean Van
Amrlnge was good enough To- greet me with his
ent,Iy smile. and he said, We'll. you must he
glad you are out Of IT," He said: '.You rernin, /,
I'm" "i the boy that had been pra wing very hard
ih order that he might find his way home and
WINE ne was retterating his prayers. he finally
cauSht sight Of tho old pasture near the house
/ s"" the pasture 80
Now: am not looking for pasture but am
very glad. indeed, TO have This opportunity when
come, as very eminent lawyer once said at
great dinner in this city. with nv side
bleeding from the spur Of the moment" 70 ad-
dress You men Of Columbia You have called mo
from the active practice of my profession IS Il
Ho1tor of laws I want to thank YOU from the
bottom OF my heart for the greeting that I have
received and to acknowledge humbIy and with
due sense Of my own lack OF desert my ap-
probation OF the great honor this university.
'he instructor Of my youth, has conferred
NEED OF ZEAL. AND ENTHUSIASM
And 1t IS truly grateful 10 me to come to an
Alumni dinner resembling I'm so many ways
other alumni dinners with which I have long
heen familiar | am glad 10 the graduates
OF the university, old and Young. show enthust-
aSn. Nothing fs more unfortunate than fo'
men OF education and opportunity 10 go through
me world Indifferent lacking In zeal, philosophI-
taI. c-"arhcadcd but without power. without IN
Huence because without enthusiasm. The cdu-
Gated men OF the country cannot afford 10 leave
zeal and enthusiasm to those who are without
'he direction of sound judgment and energetic
conscience
And it is well that in these gatherings We
should re"eavc the old charm. should como
under the old influences that inspired US that
M us with emotion and take out Of the rou-
TIN" OF to-day. We sometimes accustom oul-
S'l'eS ia such familiar way that lack the
influence which ii used to exert Now. this is
hNe for cougratulation. There ia something
more than conventional disturbance OF the
structure on an occasion Of this sort sorneth!n,
which springs from the deep feeling OF satfsrac-
tion with the conditions that surround us
As | look upon this country under the cOndi-
tions Of the present time | find abundant cause
for corgratulation. ] believe we never were in
a stronger condition. We're it the fact that at a
time Of great prosperity and uneXampled oppor-
tunity the thoughts Of our citizens were intent
simply upon individual gain; it fact that
there We're II" boundaries 10 the ambition Of
those who study nothing except for personal ad-
vantage, We're il the fact that the state was con-
siderod as nothing but fountain of special
privilege and let who get the most. then
indeed We should have cause for despair.
But when all this country from the Atlantic
10 the Pacific Is alive with the determined effort
:" restore the rights of every citizen I" fair
deal and f"r the supremacy ~ the state in the
interest Of all to he vindicated. then It Is a time
when we can say that tho spirit Of a., the
spirit Of liberty. f. still with and not de
parted. We are not decadent, hut We have the
possibilities OF the realization which has been
marked out for us by our fathers
FORMER ATTACKS OK REFORM
Doubtless there were many at the time whea
the foundations were being laid who felt that
grt AT wrong was being perpetrated in respect {"
existing institutions. Doubtless the professional
classes. the well-to-do and those who have been
favored bN I'rlui" Ipoh'u ASkail'e AT the I'di-
"rs who insisted upon protesting against Wnat
they believed I" be tyranny Doubtless at
later period. when the question was OF the
settlement Of a certain social order which was
not consistent with human rights there ,vera
many who, in comfortable ease. thought II
wrong and niquitous that steps should he takeI:
which would result perhaps, in the cmauciua-
tiou of great class of people VINO UP To that
time had b"en denied the rights Of free men.
But the spirit of liberty cannot be queuched
and We now recognize in the leaders Of the Rev
olutionary days and in the leaders In the caus-
Of human freedom before the civil War mon of
patriotic ambition, the founders ana preservers
Of our country
Now. to-day we are confronted with many
problems which must tax the skill of tha v.isest
for their solution. The main point which | want
10 emphasize is that should not dscredit tn
motives and intent of those who throughout tn.
idnu are ANXIOUS 10 see the equality of liberty
preserved and the essentials of our institutions
SAT- guarded. ON the other hand as men vino
have had the opportunity ~ a liberal educate
and professional education We have an i'm
portaut responsibility.
don't say educated men. don't ike the
delImiting a class of educated men who come
forth from universities There are all kinds
OF courses Of education. and the man who makes
the best OF his time. who Is alive to the ot,-
pOrtuEites in any walk of life. and with what
ever advantages his environment in this coun-
try may offer may well become educated
man.