The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-11-11
JUSTICE HUGHES
IS TAFT'S CHOICE
He w ill Ee Elevated to
Country's S Highest
Judicial Honor.
OTHER NAMES
ELM | N A TED.
President Wants Man Who Can
Give Fifteen or Twenty Years
of Hard Labor, and Hughes
Seems to Fill the Bill.
Sound on Funda-
mentals.
Wants Man Who Can
mentals.
Especial to The Times Dispatch. /

Especial to The Times Dispatch.
Washington. ID. G., November 1o.--
Charles Il. Hughes is President Tafts
choice for Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court. The President has been in
clined toward Associate Justice Hughes
from the first, and the longer he has
considered the available material the
stronger has become his belief that Mr..
Hughes is the man for the place. The
President Is still holding the appoints
ment open, but there Is no longer any
doubt that Mr. Hughes Will be named.
There has been disposition in some
quarters to regard Mr.. Hughes as too
uncompromising and also a little too
progressive in his views for Chief JUS
tice. The former criticism has been
voiced by one or two members of the
Presidents Cabinet; the latter comes
from business men who apparently had
In mind Mr.. Hughes's stand for d.
rect primary and similar legislation.
The President has carefully considered
both OF these so-called objections, but
they have not affected the favor with
which he regards New York States
former Governor.
The President has satisfied himself
Il.
mentals--that is. on his views of the
Constitution-and that consideration is
placed before everything else in Mr..
Tafts selection of member of the
Supreme bench.
Elihu Root, Associate Justice Edward
D. White and Associate Justice Harlan
are the most prominent of the other
chief justiaeship possibilities consid-
cred by Mr.. Taft All of them were Sc
riousiy under consideration at one
time. but their ages were against
them. Associate Justice Harlan is now
over seventy and eligible TO retire.
Senator Root and Associate Justice
White are each sixty-hve years old.
The President has made up his mind
that he wants man at the head OF
the bench who can give fifteen or TWEEN
ty years of hard service there. Mr..
Taft desires somebody who can devote
his energy to bringing about reforms in
the civil procedure in the Federal
courts. The President often has spo-
has formally recommended that Con-
gress appoint commission for study
Ing the subject. The President has
said:
Speaking generally. the improve.
ment Of the administration of justice
civilly and criminally. in the matter OF
its prompt dispatch and the chea pcnine
of it's use for the poor man, Is the mos!
important question before the Ameri:
can people"
1t is understood that il is the Presi
dents hope that the new Chief Justice
will devote himself to working reforms
in equity procedure. Former Governor
Hughes fits in with Mr.. Taft plan. HI
is only forty-eight years old and has
twenty-five Yeas before him before he
has reached the eligible retirement age
His capacity for work is we'll known
rhe President will expect his appointee
20 continue the work of reform ever
after Mr.. Taft himself has retired from
office.
There is another consideration that
has caused the President to turn tc
Associate Justice Hughes. Mr.. Taft
desires to name man for the chief
justiceship whose appointment will be
popular, He believes, it is said tina,
the appointment of Mr. Hughes would
strike popular cord and also that I,
might Offset recent criticisms of the
court.