New-York tribune., 1908-09-16
GOVERNOR CHARLES E. HUGHES.


goes before the people Of the state for re-eeclLoh
is one of the most remarkable in the history OF the
commonwealth AS the thirty seventh Governor oL
the state he has made record eqlaled oy lew II
anv of ms predecessors and surpassed oy hohe'
The executive ability which he displayed in mas
terIv manner as counsel for the gas and insurance
investiga tons had fuller scope az the heHu oi .i
government of the Empire state when IN "eAi''
and population lives mp TO It's name lie l'oN u
Albany the trained ability of master at tle Od',
roadened by public service and a campaign OF
much activity two years ago. To the propie'Ii7
confronting the chief executive OF great state ne
devoted al the energy OF mid and concentration VI
thought Of which he capable and soon OUT
lined policy 10 which he has steadfastiy adhereu'
His motto might have "IIew 10 the line, no
matter where the chips fall" and he mas stead-
fastly hepyn and OF those watching the chips
have had to stand from under.
OF sturdy Welsh. Scotch. German. Dutch anu
Irish ancestry. Mr. Hughes is a thoroughgoing
American Ills father. the Rev. David Charles
Hughes Baptist minister. still In active service
in the pulpit and born in Wales His mother
whose maiden was Connolly. had been
teacher and gave the a heritage love io'
mathematics and profound reasoning. His place
of birth was CIens Fails. y. Y, ana his orthdiy
was April H. 1862 When only six years olu anu
living in Oswego the boy learned to read ana soon
aftrryyard when his parents removed 20 NF"df"'
Y ha antcreI public school. In 1873 he became
a, resident Of this city and here completed MS
preparation for college. al the youthful ase o'
fourteen entering Colgate tthen Madison OhlEeI-
sity at Hamilton. y. Y. lie remained there amid
rural surroundings years. when. feeling tue
upsd Of a wider scope he the Older Baptist
college Brown University. at Providence At'fr
three years there he completed the academic
course and received the degree OF a. h IN 1851
and that Of A. II. In course three years later III
the interim he had taken the course in legal tram
ing at the Columbia Law School In this city his
pa rents nj that living I'm the Greenpoint por-
ton 81 Broosv vu. At Brown Mr.. hughes TOOK lhe
prizes for the highest standing in English ltera-
ture and for general attainments. ana when ne
was gradat ed delivered the ca ssica oratons Al the
Columbia Law School he won prize fellowship
For nearly a year before embarking In the study
OF law he was a teacher In an academy IN Delhl'
Delaware County.
BEFORE he was admitted TO the bar IN 1884 he had
been for a year "A clerk in the Office Of the law firm
Of Chamberlain. Carter & Hornblo""r- lie prac-
tiseI nis profession in this city from 1881 to 1891
and in 1855 married Miss Antoin -tte Carter. 4
daughter of Walter :. Carter. one OF the firm with
whom he began his practice and OF which he had
become IA member soon afterward- In 1881. despite
the desire Of his father-n-aw 10 have him con
tuue In assocla ton with him. he accepted the post
Of professor law In Cornell University MS tond-
ness for teaching having been Increased by his
perience with night classes when preparing for the
bar. For two years Professor Hughes filled "a
chair at Ithaca, but in 1898 he returned to the
practice of his profession In this city. which then
continued without interruption for thirteen years.
For the first two years of this period he was
special lecturer at Cornell. and from 1899 to lsoo
he was IA special lecturer in the New York Law
School. and many young men gained Insight into
legal problems from his lucid explanations.
Meanwhile his practice had become extensive and
lucrative Soon after his resumption Of active prac-
tice he spent seven months on the Pacific Coast
as the representative OF the bondholders of an un-
successful railway corporation in oregon. whose
affairs he adjusted satisfactorily. He then became
the court member of the law firm OF Carter
Hughes & Dwight. which Hughes. Rounds &
schurrnan when MIR. Hughes gave up his practice
to assume the office of Governor. Always ready 10
resnond to the demands made him for public
vice Mr. Hughes accepted in 1905 the post OF
counsel for the Stevens Gas comm sson appoint
ed by the state Legislature to inquire into the
operations OF the gas companies In the large cities
which led to cheaper gas. The work he did in
probing their affairs made Mr. Hughes more wide
ly known than his court practice, and when. later
in the same year, the Armstrong Insurance investi
ga ton committee was appointed to inquire into the
affairs of the great life insurance corporations Mr.
Hughes was selected its counsel. In the la
borous work of investigation which brought to
light many secret thirgs. and the outcome of which
WAS the reform legislation which curbed the power
of the corporations and protected the interests of
the policy holders in a manner before unknown. Mr.
Hughes vas the spirit and gained an
amount of practical experience in public affairs
which fitted him for wider field
He had always been a close student a wide
reader and an extensive traveller. His vacations
were usually spent abroad. where he devoted him
self to climbing Alpine heights, and he had crossed
the ocean than score of times. All public
questions had engrossed his attention and he had
given to their consideration the ability of trained
intellect O keen mind and cultured intelligence
When the Republican party sought a candidate for
Mayor in 1905 the first choice OF the convention
was Mr. Hughes but after careful consideration of
his work in connection with insurance matters not
then completed he declined and William NJ WINS
was named.
But a year later September 26. 1906, when
he was made the unanimous choice OF the Republi-
can State Convention for Governor. Mr. Hughes
accepted OF his administration OF that great office
IL has been said he has lived up to his ideals
public service. lie took into 1t the spirit of
investigator and reformer, and has carried Ii
in his recommendations to the Legislature and in
his approval dsapproval of the bills which have
come before him. His method has been bring
the facts light and then to act upon them. In
the beginning he undertook the transaction OF all
public business in the large executive chamber ac-
cessible all who had real business with him, and
he sought to carry out the provisions of the state
constitution in all matters. making appointments
on the basis of fitness and approving such enact
ments he deemed best for the public good. He
has disapproved of a bill 10 compel railroad