East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-06-09


al questions and who believe in most
of his doctrines of right living, say:
He is a great governor. He has
given the state an administration on
a high plane. But Odell and Roose-
welt did more for the people after all.
They made the politicians do what
they wanted them to do. They laid
down the law to the legislature and
the legislature usually obeyed 1t Is
true that the preachers of the state
did not agree with everything they
did-but they got results"
Hughes considers the means fully
as important as the end His father
was Baptist preacher in Glens Falls,
y. Y, and there is something of the
Baptist preacher and much of the
Baptist layman in the governor to-
day A leaflet scattered about the leg
islature during the fight on the anti
race track gambling bills, said of
him:
He is a preacher among polite
ians; a politician among preachers"
He is the embodyment of system.
He habitually looks before he leaps,
and usually carefully measures the
space and carefully estimates his
leaping capacity in advance.
A Man of Conscience.
Much fun has been made of his
in comic papers and pub
lie speeches. 1t is not myth. either.
The thing about Hughes that worries
the politicians most of all is his
placidity. He consults his conscience
on every move and does what will
satisfy it and then no matter what
happens, he can say to himself:
Il have done the right thing. II
others fail l cannot be blamed for
their failure. I have done my full
duty"
Hughes studied hard as a boy in
school and has never stopped. He is
now 46 years old and in his mind are
stored away the results of almost that
many years study; for he began to
read almost as soon as he began to
talk.
But there is ANOTHER side to the
mantle side that usually is not seen
by the public. He has all the human |
in a strong degree. but he
has learned 20 control the mand keep |
them in the background. No man is
better company at a dinner and no |
man enters more enthusiastically into |
the spirit Of a joke or an evening of |
pleasure, when the evening has been |
set aside for that purpose.
At dinners such as the amen Cor
ner" annual affair in New York, or
the dinner of the Legislative Cores |
Dondents' association at Albany. both |
IF which are patterned after the Grid
iron dinners in Washington. he en-
Joys all the fun that.is poked at him |
and laughs loudest of all. He seems
10 revel in recreation Of this sort. and |
the reason probably lies i'm the fact
that he usually keeps his mind hard
At serious work.
Unpopular WIKI Politicians.
The very fact that he is unpopular
with the politicians who have ruled
New York so long has given Hughes
much support-a support Of a kind
that surprised everybody. 1t came
from men who usually are not heard
from in public matters.
No man doubts his sincerity. No
me has charged him with inordinate
lmbition. Many believe that he Is the
most popular man in the state and
lssert freely that few men ever were
is popular with the people at large
But, they usually add he does not
AXE advantage of his opportunity.
The late John Vandercook, presl-
lent Of the United Press, in an arti-
lie on Hughes, said:
Some think Hughes at heart a
Vail street lawyer-some say that he
= a moral prig, The bulk of his
eally earnest popular support comes
rom the upstate 'hayseed districts
We're he ever made president, he
would pursue the course he
las as governor, that Is, he would
lever take up a thing until he under
TODD 1t thoroughly, and then push 1t
through with calm inslstent patience,
alling back always on the same It's
light argument when anybody want
d to change his mind"
Hughes first sprang into public
lotice as counsel for the legislative
committee in the gas investigation in
Iew York city in 1905. Then quick
y followed the life insurance investl-
'ation in which he won national fame
nd which brought him the nomina-
ion for governor. Before these events
lie had been a. deep-thinking, hard
lawyer known more to law
ers than to laymen. Other attorneys ,
ought his advice on tangled points.
lie had lectured on law in Cornell uni
ersity and was looked upon some-
What as a professor in practice until |
lie suddenly loomed up as a man of {
ction.
One phase Of Hughes character Is !
Illustrated by his action on the Hearst
i'll providing for a recount of the
'allots cast in the Mcclellan Hearst
nayorality election In New York,
which Hearst claims he won, but was {
ounted out. Hearst had been 6
Iughes' opponent in the race for gov
rnOr and had attacked him in many