Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-06-21
JUSTICE HUGHES
- - -.
WOULD NOT RUN
Says Supreme Court Judiciary
Should Not Furnish Material
for Presidency.

LAKE PLACID, N. Y, June FL
Basing what he had to say upon a
personal interview he had had
with United States Supreme Court
Justice Charles e. Hughes, Rabbi
Stephen S. Wise. of New York. who
is a close personal friend of the JUS
tice, and whose summer camp here
Is near the Hughes camp, issued yes
terday a signed statement setting
forth the real reasons, he says, why
Justice Hughes cannot allow his
name to be considered by the Re-
publican convention at Chicago. The
statement, in part, follows;
II have just come from a visit to
Justice Hughes at Camp Abenaki,
Lake Placid, and deem aicsof import
ance to set forth the reasons, as l
understand them, which have led
HIM to refuse to permit his name 10
be considered in connection with the
nomination for President at the con-
yention of the Republican party in
Chicago.
1T appears to one who is not UNI
acquainted with men and motives
that Justice Hughes has succeeded In
doing the extraordinal thing of
viewing the whole question in an Jun
personal and detached way. He
seems to have asked, and to his own
satisfaction to have answered, one
question:: Is 1t right that | should
permit my name to be used" His
answer has been No. and as far as
another. may judge, that answer has
been reached without regret and re-
mining. This mo- is the reasoned and
unalterahle decision of an unbending
conscience. a decision as honoring to
him as has been every hour OF his
noteworthy public career.
THE decision is MOTTO be recalled II
extraordinary circumstances arise or
unforeseen contingencies come to
pass. But it will be reafiirmed as
final and i~rrevocable, even in the
event of the Chicago convention now
assembled nominating Justice Hughes
for the presidency. 1t is no little
thing to say, but I may say hat he
would decline the nomination II ten
dered him.
why? The Supreme Court must
not be dragged into politics. A judge
of the Supreme Court should not be
available, though he be nominally
eligible for elective offices. hi
moment he assumes the judicial Office
he ceases to be a partisan, and knows,
or should know, no partisan ooliga-
ton. The moment he accepts a party
nomination one or more things hap
pen and happen explicably.
First, a political party may under
take to capitalize the judicial de-
icisions of its candidate. than whicf
nothing could be more deeply violat-
I've OF the spirit of the judicial insti-
tution. His decisions would, more
over. become subject to the partisan
and passionate. review of partisan
strife. Worst of all, it is not incon-
ceivable that, if men are to step
from the bench to elective office. de-
cisions may ultimately be rendered
with a view to the contingency of
such public and necessarily partisan
review.
"Such a situation would be certain
70 lessen the Independence OF the
judiciary. as it would inevitably i'm
nair the nations confidence in the
,,nswerving integrity of the courts.
Of what real and permanent value
were the decisions of a Judge today
who on the morrow may choose. OF
he chosen, to sue for the favor and
Suffrage of the electorate?
a we parted, / turned to him and
asked the final question:
. DO YOU not conceive that an ex-
t~raordinary crisis might make 1t your
duty to accept the nomination for
President, in order to render a great
public service?
.Unhesitatingly and : u~nequivocal
was the answer:
az hope that, as a justice OF the
silurep1e Court, I am rendering public
a~ervice. and may continue to do so for
Come wears, but the Supreme Court
must not be dragged into politics. and
no man is as essential to his coun-
try's we'll being as is the unstained
integrity of the courts
"The answer was the measure OF
he man. What though he declined
a be considered for the presidency
Nv the Republican party, Justice
sugnes remains a moral asset of the
republic. -