New-York tribune., 1910-10-06
GOTERNOR H TGHES.


Governor Hughes leaves Office a great
Governor. 70 become. unless public eX-
nectations are sOrely disappointed, a
great Judge. Recognition of his extraor-
binary qualifications for the Supreme
bench and of the peculiar fitness OF his
appointment has been universal NO
doubt he will he extremely happy in his
new career. The public certainly hopes
that he will be The practice Of his
profession always appealed 70 him more
than political life. and doubtless service
on the bench viii be still more con-
genial. His preference of his new place
TO the gains that were open TO him on
a return to his profession was a fine e1-
ample of his habitual attitude toward
the duty of public service. But ne Will
have his reward for whatever sacrifice
he has made in the dignity of his Office
and in the congeniality of his career.
He retires from the governorship in
the enjoyment of quiet but none the
less complete triumph The Republican
party has just dismissed from their
places Of authority those who opposed
him and thwarted him. defeating some
of the policies in which be was most
deepIv interested. and has placed his
friends and supporters III charge Nof its
destinies. pledging itself to carry out his
ideas and be true to his principles. And
observers at Rochester testify that his
influence made itself felt also in the
Democratic party. which, though oppos-
ing his progressive ideas in the Leglslat-
ure. found itself compelled TO accept
some Of them in its platform. Both
parties are committed without reserve TO
direct primaries. so that his defeat Of
last winter is sure to be followed IN
some sense by an ultimate victory. And
the influence of his example is accepted
not only in this state but all over the
country. the Democratic candidate for
Governor in New JERSEY. for instance.
having Just declared his intention. if
elected. Of following the Hughes method
Of bringing the pressure of public opin-
ion to bear upon the Legislature.
Mr.. Hughes's most important service
to the country has been to raise the
tone Of political life. He has been an
inspiration to good citizenship. He set
un new moral standards in politics and
showed that they were practicable. re
entered office with Old-fashiOned notions
of right and wrong and proved they
could he lived u to. He showed the
peedlessness of many long established
70 expediency. What they
regard as political wisdom" he once said
of .practicaI' politicians, often strikes
me as nuerility." He saw further than
they did. They thought that parties
were made strong by the effective use II
patronage and the service Of the in
terests" with campaign funds at their
disposal He perceived that parties
were strong according as they served
the public His ideal was service Of
the public with single minded devotion.
He knew no other allegiance. His prin-
cipIes were not new. 1orality never is
new. What was new was the strength
of will with which he lived up To them
and the skill with which he made his
position clear 10 the public and inspired
IT with his vision of efficiency in admin
istration and devotion to the service ot
the people Ills rouuuCI III tl1l't / VI
nished moral inspiration to the people
of the state Men are not SO ready to
dav as they used to he 70 reconcile them
selves to the evils of politics by saying
that they are inevitable.
But though the inspiration which he
gave 10 good citizenship was his greatest
service. the Governor was not merely
moral leader The Public Service com
missions legislation which has become
n model for other states. was largely the
Governors own work and is Illustrative
of his insight into social. political and
economic conditions and Of his power
as Il constructive statesman. Other I'M
portant reforms of his administration, Of
which the improvement Of state banking
regulation, the conservation Of the states
water powers and the employers liability
legislation are perhaps the best examples,
were initiated by him and were the work
Of his appointees. lie found the state
with IFS governmental machinery Ill
adapted to meet modern conditions. and
he leaves it In the front rank Of the
sanely progressive states.