The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-04
GOVERNOR HUGHES
WILL Be HAzED
When He Goes on the United
States Supreme Bench
WILL DO DRUDGE WORK

From the Now York World.


court of the United States; Flag" for
eight seniors. sophomores and fourth
form men, the Cinderella of the bench
consumer of midnight oil In performing
the drudge work of his associates and
the prospective victim of the refinement
Of high brow hazing.
If Governor Hughes Is at all apprehen-
sive of the hazing that is coming to him,
when with proper humility, he takes the
end seat on the bench of the United
States Supreme court, on the second
Monday In October he carefully conceals
the fact
That he views the ordeal In Its proper
proportions is manifest to all his friends
with whom he has talked. To World
reporter who discussed the matter the
other day the governor frankly said ne
expected to put In a year performing
the hardest years work. of his life.
II expect" he said, that shall be as
signed to the least important cases until
I have mastered the routine of the court
and am thoroughly acquainted with the
rules of procedure. am not afraid of
that, because I want to be as thoroughly
only hard work can accomplish it. Afraid
of hazing? Not bit of 1t. l suppose
will be permitted to. haze myself by be-
ing given all the hard work | can stand.
am ready for It,"
No first year. boy in a preparatory
school ever approached his initiation with
more buoyant zest than the governor.
He laughs heartily when his attention Is
called to the reports that come from
Washington of the plans of his d1gn1ned
colleagues for giving him good start as
a member of the highest court in the ma
ton But he Is sincerely earnest in his
declaration that he looks forward to at
least a year of concentrated effort In
mastering the deails of his new job.
He has already planned it out as far as
he can. He will take only weeks Va
cation after he disposes of the great vol
ume of legislative business which now
confronts him. At the end of 1t he Will
return to Albany and remain there con-
tinuously until he leaves for washington.
In the meantime he will select mouse
at the National capital and arrange 10
remove his personal effects from the ex-
ecutive mansion at Albany. So until he
reports for duty and assignment to Chief
Justice Fuller his new boss, the gov
ernor will not give much thought to the
hazing that awaits him. But. from all
accounts his initiation will be record
breaker
By this 1t is not meant that the then
governor will be required to stand on his
head and devour tobasco sauce run
carpet sweeper over the tiled floors for
13 consecutive hours. take broom and
dust off the library collection of law
books. or compare how many years Will
be necessary to bring the docket up to
date.
His hazing will simply be the penalty
he must pay for gaining experience.
The eight dignfed and austere jurists
who will welcome the new justice are all
far and above such commonplace AFFAIRS
as the initiation of a novitiate. ihey
would be Mortified at the mere thought
of hazing the latest arrival. But the re-
suit Is as inevitably the same as II the
pedestrian walks around the square to his
destination or cuts across the corner
The first narrowing experience of JUS
tice Hughes will be the selection and Mt
ting of the elaborate silk robe with which
he must be equipped before taking the
oath of office. 1t would be a scandal
not durable by regrets or bushes If the
garment was not identical in quality, cut
and appearance with those worn by the
other eight legal experts.
It is a tradition of the court that all
must look alike nthe matter OF dress
when on the bench. There may be no
deviation from this fixed principle. SO
closely is this custom followed that all of
~. ,,stices patronize one tailor He
know sthe ways and wherefore of their
robes. Justice Hughes must carefully
watch the building of his own taiment
and be perfectly sure that 1t does not
drag on the floor or otherwise violate the
conventionalities. In addition he must
dig down deep in his pocket and produce
some of his own money to pay for the
outfit, too, before he has chance to get
his first salary check cashed.
The material is black silk of the finest
fabric. made In a specially devised man
ner, and rugged up according to special
although ancient ideass 1t Will require
at least 20 yards of taffeta silk to sur
round Justice Hughes and 81 yard
would be the minimum price. With the
fixinRs and all he will easily hand over
500 for his robe. The worrying'and FRET
ting and anxious watching over this
growing mantle will be the first hazing of
the new justice.
The next step will be his elevation to
the bench. He must take the last and
leftover of everything. He will walk at
the end of the imposing little procession
as it travels from its congregatingSroom
to the auditorium of the court. He Will
be assigned to the final and last seat at
the left hand Of the chief Justice. Every
minute he will be made to realize that he
Ia the tail-end of the procession His
chair will be of the same material and
finish as the Others but 1t will be the
wind-up of the row, on the wrong side,
with eight ahead In point of seniority
The real rough and-tumble hazinz will
begin with the assignment of cases on
which opinions are to be prepared and
delivered Justice Hughes will be given
a whole raft of little, easy. unimportant
matters He will have more work on
hand than any other member of the court.
but It will be of minor consequence. He
must hump his back and wear out re-
volving chair looking up authorities on
which TO found his decisions. These will
all be utilized, but In the lesser. degree.
The great cases will be turned over to
some experienced justice for opinions.
They will be far less in number, but
vastly outranlSing in consequence. For
that reason it will appear that Justice
Hughes is being worked to death, and
that all the burdens involving actual la
hor are placed on his shoulders. This
course is pursued in order that the no.
vitiate may become accustomed to routine
methods, acquire sef-confidence, round
out and develop until he will be able
to handle the really big cases.
The new justice will be expected to
Gag for his colleagues When they
want authority looked up concerning any
point upon which they desire to base
their opinions. Mr.. Justice Hughes will
lend hand and perhaps burn some mid