The Washington herald., 1908-02-23


States on the question OF the Presidency
seems. at this writing. 10 be Gov. Charles
I E. Hughes. Of New York State. There is
no doubt Of the existence OF a Hughes
boom. writes Ida NJ. Tarbell in the
American Magazine for March Its size
is disturbing many. causing exultation TO
a few. interesting everybody. But through
it all the governor himself, serene and
imperturbable, sticks TO his tasks al Al
bany. refusing 10 recognize II as having
any claim on his time. He is TOO busy
looking after the commissions at work on
public utilities. too busy with the new
legislation ne has initiated for the present
session, TO trouble himself about the Pres
idency. After all who shall be the next
President is not his business. It is the
bsspess Of the people OF the United
States II they want him and make X
meantime he has work 20 do in Albany
and viii be obliged if you viii not distract,
his attention or consume his time.
This alOofness Is no pose Of superiority
no lack of interest in the honor offered.
II is literal carrying out OF his own the
ory OF public service that men should be
chosen FOR Office on the merits OF their
work, held in ONCE only as they make
good. advanced according TO their efici-
ency- Public Office Is servlce-service for
tie people. Il Is FOR the people TO say II
the service Is satisfactory and 10 reward
accordingly.
All that has come 10 Gov Hughes so
far has come as result Of taking this
theory seriously Three years ago he was
an entirely unknown man. outside OF the
legal circles Of New York City. the lecture
halls OF the Columbia and Cornell law
schools. the ranks Of Brown University.
Of which he is an slumnus. and the lay
councils OF the Baptist Church, CT which
he IS communicate
I When It was announced that Mr..
Hughes had been selected as counsel for
the Stevens committee. the newspapers
sneered- or course. the investigation
would be farce. they said. Mr.. Hughes
was a Baptist. a member OF the same
church as John D. Rockefeller. He was
the founder OF the famous Rockefeller
Bible class and II any further proof that
he was not 10 be trusted was needed. he
had led that class within month. II
was another melancholy proof OF the
mysterious intimacy OF church and cor
POrations, The first ten days Of AIr.
Hughes examination convinced every
OF the Consolidated Gas Company and
Mr.. Rockefeller's Bible class. Mr Hughes
was not befuddled by them.
4 The report OF the findings Of the COM
mission. which Nr Hughes wrote. en-
phasized still further the fact that no
body had a mortgage On his ability What
followed showed that be was not only
free lawyer he was a man who recGg-
nized that he had duties as a citizen, for
after the gas investigation was over. and
his duties as paid counsel done. he had
al his own expense gone TO Albany with
the committee and helped draft the bills
he believed necessary TO restore 10 the
public It's rights in gas and electric light
ing-a commission with fun powers.
maximum price for electricity and gas,
fixed prices for public lights. AS viii be
remembered. the maximum price for gas
was defeated, thanks 10 the noble Mr..
McCarren. but the other bills We're pass
ed. and II IS estimated that in the year
1895 the city saved fully $4,000 as re-
suit. When the fight for So-ceut gas was
resumed Mr.. Hughes again threw himself
into the fight. purely as a publie service.
and. without asking or receiving pay.
helped the attorney general in the ht!ga-
tion over the bill
When Mr.. Hughes took I'D the insur-
ance investigate he unraVeled the
books and knew what entries meant
how they related 10 one another. what
were significant and what were not was
in itself a discovery. II was as If Mr.
Hughes possessed a superior sense. He
IS a wizard the newspapers began 10
cry There is no wizardry about il. q"
said Nfr. Hughes. 1t is work Then
came time when the Republicans OF
the State we're in a bad way. They had
TO overcome the popular enthusiasm for
Mr.. Hearst. They had no man I'm line
with whom they could do IL. The better
element IN the organization. the ROOse-
Welt wing. led by senator Albert r. Page
and Mr. Herbert Parsons chairman OF
the New York county committee. felt
that the popular confidence Mr.. Hughes
had won was their only hope. Mr.. Hughes
was approached. He never left any
doubts but that he understood why he
was wanted. and IN finally consenting to
allow his name TO be presented as a can
diGate. he made il plain that he consider
ed himself the nominee Of the people. not
Of the machine.
There is no doubt that Mr.. Hughes
strength with the people was his weak
ness with the old rank and file Of the
party organization. They did not natural
" like his methods. He threw too much
light on things He let il fall on Re
publicans and Democrats alike. too; in
fact. the Republicans had come out Of the
insurance investigation much biac<er, than
the Democrats from the gas mvestiga-
ton. To have let Murphy escape and to
have besmirched Depew. seemed to them
sufficient reason for questioning Hughes
loyalty. There was a great deal OF
squiruing at the convention when Sena-
tor Page and Mr.. Parsons made il known
that they should nominate Hughes How
did they know Hughes was a faithful
party man. How did they know he
could be counted on? They stood by their
candidate. convinced that II was Hughes
or defeat. and finally, after three days
OF the hardest sort of fighting sent
word to Oyster Bay through Chairman
lCortelyou of the national committee that
they needed help. Would not President
Roosevelt indicate 10 the convention that
in his judgment Hughes was the man?
The President Immediately replied. send
ing his opinion TO the Congressman IN his
district William W Cocks. X was re-
ceived late at night and delivered after
midnight 20 the proper persons The
next morning. a submissive convention,
with q good imitation Of whele-heorted
ness, accepted the nomination Their
worst fears in doing this were confirmed
a few minutes later. when Chairman
Armstrong read to the assembly a tele-
gram from Mr.. Hughes 10 Senator Page
In which he said,
Il shall accept the nomination without
pledge other than TO do my duty accord
ing TO my conscience. II elected il viii
be my ambition 20 give the state sane.
efficient, ana honorable administration,
free from taint Of bossism or OF seryi-
tude TO any private interest"
IL was ominous. but OF course II might
De Buneombe
| Whom it became evident that NIr Hughes