New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-11

Dean Alden. checked IL mp. incident
ally. they saved the S0-cent gas law LOT
New York City, for in the framing
OF one OF the conso dated statutes
! that measure would have been re
pealed by Implication
The Direct Nominations Law.
No review OF tho Governors record
vould be complete without references
TO his hard two years fight Tor al.
rect nominations law. In working out
the committee designation system OF
direct nominations embodied IN the
Uinman-Green bill the Governor
showed. in the judgment OF many OF
his friends, 20 the fullest extent MS
constructive powers. That device, they
maintain. would have made real party
government possible and would have
corrected most OF the evils discovered
in the direct nominations laws or
other states.
The direct nominations system was
urged by the Governor as big ana
vital feature Of his crusade against
Tho holders % special privileges. Ms
wanted 10 "hobbe the party boss"
rather than the party voters. He
wanted to divorce politics from bust
ness by making il possible for the
plain people TO control nominations
instead Of having them hawked
around TO tho business interests
which would find il to their advantage
TO own legislators or public officials.
But the combination OF interests
against him was too strong. Partly
rancor, political sntagonism, the ap-
prehensons Of bosses and big bust
ness contributed to bring about his
defeat two years in succession. Inc
mere fact that his position on the IS
sue was in general that OF the Presl-
dent. ex- President Roosevelt. Senator
Root and q majority OF the Republi-
can LEGISLATORS in each house didn't
affect his Republican antagonists, who
were accusing him Of disrupting the
Republican party. And by a shock,
inc combination with Tammany Hall
Democrats these Republicans beat the
Governors bill.
Supreme Court Justice.
Mr.. Hughes's career ms Governor was
interrupted and ended b. his elevation
TO the Bench of the Supreme Court
Of the United States. II was an open
secret that President Taft would have
liked to make him Chief Justice, but
as that was impracticable an Associate
Justiceship was bestowed upon hlm.
This was in 1910. On April " the
President by letter offered to Mr.;
Hughes tho appointment, TO succeed
Justice David f. Brewer. Two days
later Mr.. Hughes replied, accepting
the offer. The President had told Mr..
Hughes that the Supreme Court wa
about to adjourn. and that II he pc
came a Justice he would not have 70
begin his judicial duties until the
second Monday in October, so that he
might continue to serve as Governor
until that time That assurance was
the potent factor which caused Mr..
Hughes to accept the appointment
without il he might and probably
would have declined il, for there were
transcendent duties yet TO be fulhlled
as Governor of New York which he was
unwilling TO abandon.
He was appointed TO the bench on
May 2, resigned the Governorship on
October 6. and on October 10 he took
his seat on the bench of the Supreme
Court. Less than n month later, on
November 7. he read his first decision.
II was in a Missouri national bank
case, involving the right Of national
bank TO acquire title 10 realty; the
purport Of the decision being that such
title was not void. but was voidable
on action by the United States. The
decision attracted attention by its
brevitv and directness. Since then
Justice Hughes has conspicuously par
ticipated in the determination of many
important causes; his judicial decls-
ions having. however. no relation TO
the issues of party politics and stand
ing quite apart form his political
career. 1t may be noted. however,
that he welcomed the appointment Of
Louis d. Brandeis as a Justice and
favored his confirmation by the Senate.
Psrentage and Education.
Charles Evans Hughes was born az
Glens Falls, New York, on April II,
1862. His father was the Rev. DR..
Daniel Charles Hughes. a native OF
Wales, and for many years one OF the
foremost Baptist preachers in this
country, serving as pastor Of impor-
tant churches at Glens Falls, in New
ark. ~ j., and Brooklyn, y. Y. His
mothers maiden name was Mary
Catherine Connolly, and she was of
Irish stock. His early education was
acquired at home, but on the removal
OF his parents TO Newark, he became
a pupil In the public schools of that
city, and was there prepared for col
lege. At the age of fourteen years he
entered Colgate University, at Hamil-
ton n. Y, and there spent two years.
Then he removed TO Brown University,
where he was graduated A. b. with
high honors in 1881.
After leaving Brown Mr.. Hughes be-
came a teacher at Delhi, n. Y, and