New-York tribune., 1910-04-27
ANSWER HUGHES'S CRITICS
Friends Ridicule Idea of Pro-
Corporation Bias.
IBy Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

Albany, April 26-Considerable quiet
amusement has been aroused here, where
Governor Hughes's political and economic
views are well known. at the denunciation
Of him by Mr.. Bryen and some Of the
Hearst followers as having q corporation
hias. His friends. who remember how he
stood for the Public Service commissions
bill in mis- first year of office. while every
railroad. street railway and lighting corpo-
ration in the state was working against it,
think his record is pretty clear on that
score.
Hughes once stood in the way when Hearst
wanted to be Governor. end did more than
sny other one man 10 prevent Bryan from
becoming President last trip. has anything
20 do with their present sttitude?" oueried
one Of the Governors supporters tonight.
Most Of the present attempts to attribute
a pro-corporation bias TO the Governor is
based on his veto of the 2-cent fare bill
fare bill. To be sure. at the time he vetoed
the 2-cen, fare bin he was praised all over
the country for that stand
His friends think that IN. fact that some
of the 2-cent fare bills arbitrarily en-
thrown out by the courts puts the Govern
ors position in the proper light. They
also think that the feet that the Public
Service Commission. after a long and care
ful investigation, decided that Ave cents
from Manhattan TO Coney Island was n
oonhscstory rate justified his veto Of that
bill The Governors critics in attributins
to him this corporation bias appear also 10
h1r- e-Io
very significant phase of the Governor S
friendship for the downtrodden corporation
This was his veto Of the consolidation Of
the railroad law last year. In other years,
under other governors. the railroad laws
had contained a provision that the Legis-
lature might not reduce fsres or freight
rates 20 a point so low that the earnings
Of railroads would fall below 10 per cent on
the capital invested. So kindly did the
Governor feel toward the railroads that he
vetoed the consolidation OF those laws as
soon as he discovered that that feature
would be re-enscted for the benefit Of the
railroads IL he signed the bill.
Judge Frank Hiscock, Of the Court of
Appeals. to-day made public a formal in
terview expressing his qualification at the
appointment of the Governor to the Su-
preme Court. While he spoke only for
himself. II is generally understood that
his sentiments are those Of the entire
Court of Appeals. He said:
The President could,not have made any
appointment at the present time which
would be stronger OF more fsvorably re-
garded throughout the country 7 think
II would have been subject of much dis
appointment IL he had deemed IL nsces-
Sary TO pass by New York State second
time, and there will be corresponding
qualification that our state sesiD becomes
seems almost supeTfuous to say ANYTHING
concerning the distinguished qualifications
of Governor Hughes for the position 10
which he hes been appointed When he
gave up the practice of law 10 become
Governor he had already come TO be rec
ognized as lawyer Of great ability and
" II the industry and devotion which he
~ apply TO the discharge Of his new
duties there Is every reason to assume
that he will come to be esteemed as one
Of the great lawyers of the Supreme
Court.
But there is another consideration which
Will make his appointment widely accept
able al the present time. Many of the cases
which come before the court of last resort
I'm this country involve much more than
the study and application of mere abstract
principles Of law. They necessarily involve
problems Of industrial and social regulation
and development whereon q Judge NAV
easily find justification for deciding a case
true just at the present time. Governor
Hughes has SO established himself in the
confidence of the people at large that they
will especially commend his appointment
and be grained that he is to take part
In the disposition Of questions of the char
acter Of which | have indicated. The wis
dom OF the President I'm appointing him
will be praised almost unanimously.