New-York tribune., 1910-01-17
GOVERNOR HUGHES
NOT TO RUN AGAIN
FINALITY OF
DECISION.
Need of Organization tt
Secure a PROGRESSIVE
Candidate.

Governor Hughes will not under any
circumstances be a candidate for re-
election. This The Tribune Is able -
announce positively. His political adj
versaries who are sitting up nights try
ing 10 devise some scheme to avoid the
necessity of supporting him again for
Governor might as well save themselves
the trouble Likewise. the believers in
his measures who are sitting back and
counting on his being dragged into an
other contest for the sake of carrying
to completion such of his policies as the
present Legislature may not adopt
would do well to realize this fact and
prepare themselves TO carry on his work.
This means that they must organize 10
secure the nomination by the Republi-
can party of some able man in sympathy
with the Governors ideas. The con-
stantly recurring suggestions that he
must come to the rescue of the party
and appeals TO him 10 reconsider his de-
termination make IL necessary that the
1nality of his decision should be clearly
understood Only as they realize this
can the progressive elements of the Re-
publican party prepare TO maintain his
position to secure a suitable candidate
for Governor and carry the Republican
| ticket to success next fall.
There is no possibility of a repetition
of the campaign of 1905. when Governor
Hughes reluctantly allowed himself to
be made a candidate. Nothing but
sense of public duty not TO retire from
a fight which he had undertaken then
| led him to this step, and there IS limit
to the obligation OF service from man
situated as he is. The Governor is not
wealthy and he has a family TO make
provision for. His friends say that ne
has spent each year of his term from
his private property as much as MS sal
ary. This will amount to $4,000 in ths
! four years, and il is not TO be expected
| that he should be willing TO go on ar
| this rate for two years more at the very
time in his life when his earning capac-
itv is greatest. and when at the practice
| of law he might in few years make
! ample provision for those dependent
| upon him.
To RETURN TO HIS PRACTICE
The expense of living has increased
| enormously in recent years. and the
! cost of occupying the Executive Man
| sion. even in the most modest fashion
! beftting the dignity of the Office, IS
heavy. The Governors friends do not
| represent him as taking the position that
he has made a sacrifice in holding the
| office under these conditiOns-quite the
contrary. The Governor has clearly eN-
pressed himself more than once as under
obligations for confidence shown ana
honor conferred by the people. and ne
has no patience with the idea that ne
is making a sacrifice" Nevertheless.
whatever the privileges of the executive
office. and however highly the honor
may be appreciated. private obligation
cannot be indefinitely disregarded. and
the Governor is determined TO return 10
his law practice.
There are doubtless many public
spirited citizens who would gladly raise
a fund to provide an ample future in
come for the Governors family in order
to secure the continuance of hts great
work for the people at Albany, If its ae-
ceptance were possible But all who
know Governor Hughes know that how
ever free from private obligation such a
gift might leave him. he would not for
one instant consider such "a thing
INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS
II will be interesting TO watch the
manuuvres of the politicians when they
finally come To understand his position
y few weeks ago Timothy L. Woodruff
announced that Governor Hughes could
have a denomination if he wanted IL
and day or two later William Barnes.
jr emphasized that statement Whether
this was an effort to put the Governor
lin a hole or an Indication OF a readi-
ness to be good is a subject for specula-
ton At any rate. they were not long
content to be thought really favorable 10
the Governors renomina ton, for a few
days after both began 10 talk OF Theo-
dore Roosevelt as a candidate for Gov
ernor, apparently in the hope OF stirring
up an enthusiasm for the eX-President
as foil to any popular movement which
might be started To force Governor
Hughes again into the campaign. The
popular response. however. did not seem
to be forthcoming. and there are no in
dications that if the Governor were will
ing TO run again the people who have
cheney would be diverted by a sugges-
ton so clearly made less out OF enthu-
siasm for Mr. Roosevelt than from de-
sire 10 get the Governor out of the way.
IL may be that the politicians. when
they realize that the Governor viii not
be i'm the field will think il safe 10
PEAT the tactics of the last Legislature.
although recent declarations of the lead
ers have seemed to indicate an intention
to adopt most of the Governors ideas.
even the direct nominations. up 70
a certain point. But they are likely.
also to have the fact borne in upon them
that the popular confidence in Governor
Hughes and his reforms, which makes
IL so dangerous 10 resist them and would
make il so impossible for them To refuse
him denomination il he would take IT,
would be equally troublesome after an
other session of defiance. even IL they
were able to nominate a man of their
own sort for Governor. They had the
control of the party machinery in 1905
but did not dare To use il against him
and they may find next fall that their
only chance for success Is in a candi-
date standing squarely for the Hughes