El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-06-17

holding his sides when the two news
paper men, eye-witnesses OF all this,
came TO his room in answer to his sum
Boys" he said, couldn't you manage
Z TO forget what you saw this afternOon2
Gen Grant did not understand that We
Z were going to the fort today.
. wouldn't have him embarrassed about
7 this for anything in the world 1
. know ii is the funniest thing one could
Z ina gine. and a peach Of a newspaper
Z il you'd simply forget it.
Only two newspaper men knew the
I story We looked at each other. nod
J ed-fJOined in the governors laughter.
: and proceeded to forget it, It viii
{ do no harm to tell it now.
Read Shakespeare For the Story
Hughes always has deprecated the
{ story that he was an infant prodigy
/ His parents did not encourage pre-
1 cocity.
Il was an omnivorous reader" he
told me once, and interested in every
thing that came along; my mind was
/ clear and active, but it is not true
/ that / found my recreation in Greek
and Latin roots, or amused my childish
: hours with exercises in differential
/ calculusi
i did read practically all Of Shake
speare's plays before was eight years
old; but 1 read them for the story
Il was said at Brown University that
nobody in college had read anything
q ike 50 LluCn general literature and
| drama as young Hughes. It is to be
said. however, that ne never acquired
the taste for literary drivel. But dur
ing the winter of 1y07-0S, while he
was in one Of his hardest fights with
. the legislature over some of the prob
lens. the solution OF which marked
MS administration, he read six OF the
sWashbuckling novels OF Dumas
Petty Politics m Unknown Field.
He never has understood, as worka-
day politicians understand. the ms and
outs Of local politics a good part Of
MS troubles with the Republican or
ganl,za ton were due 10 this fact. and
10 she further fact that he came into
political life without personal acquaiu-
tarce with politicians, or even with the
legitimate political customs Of the day
But he realized his limitations in this
regard and never tried TO learn the
game OF petty politics
One OF the shrewdest of the poIiti-
cal writer's who twice a day faced him
IN the executive chamber for the news
paper asked him once a searching
question, founded upon the reasoning
OF those to whom politics is grist for
me daily mill The governor looked
at him grlmly, inscrutably, and said:
I have nothing 10 say for publica-
ton about that matter at present"
Then his lips began 10 twitch ard
his eyes to twinkle as he added:
But for your own information. and
so that you may not go astray about
IL, / VIII say that haven't the re-
hottest idea what you are talking |
aDOur. And not a man in the e-rOuD. ]
had the slightest doubt that what h. I
said was true.
Time and time again Hughes invaded Z
the domain Of some local leader. 20 +,
make speech at fair. to visit q ]
state institution, or what not: was his I
guest was introduced by him to his I
constltuents-and afterward exhibited
undisgulsed astonishment, and full an /
preclauon OF the joke when the news 1
paper men told him ne had been sit
ting az the very fireside OF a man who 4
would cheerfully cut his politicsi
Stevens Was Supposed To he Dead.
When he appointed the late Frede-
rick @ stevens. who had been chair l
man Of the gas investigating commit
tee 10 be superintendent of public |
VOTES the political armament shook !
20 its foundations The Wadsworths
father and son. feudal lords of North !
west New Y rk since time out OF mind, /
9t-y me year before. had leGislared /
stevens off the map by an acI re- I
apporuoning the legislative districts OF (
the state. at great expense Of polftl-
cal maneuverlnG; had put him out Of 4
business beyond rescue by anything !
nut political miracle. Hughes. think
ing only Of his own confidence in the |
character and efficiency OF Stevens /
reached into the political mOrCue. 50 !
10 speak. and rehabilitated him BIZ ap- 1
polntment TO the most important auI (
powerful office within his gift
me governor was amazed, perhaps n
lrlfle disconnected, by the uproar which !
ms action caused The single instruc-
ton that he gave To Mr.. Stevens. as
the latter quoted IL 10 me, was this:
want you to conduct this office /
with an eye solely to efficiency and
the public interest The one thing
you must not do is TO try by the use I
or patronage 70 build any Hughes
machine"
At tie Feet Of David ID. Hill.
In "a ]
CHANGED that he ana former Gov. David
b. Hill rode together in a train. Those
VINO heard the conversation saw that I
i was 'as good as q show to hear
Doncies-this newcomer in the field and !
that hattlescarred veteran who had
been there before linn. Whole eras Z
Jf party politics and dearly bought ex
1eFience were condensed in HIS cOur-
-eous but candid advice TO the new
governor
I wouldn't do that" the eager hear /
-rs heard him say at one point. 4
tried that, and you'u find it won't
To- And at another Before you try
10 draft g ballot law. get the advice
Il the fellows who have worked at
he polls"
/ never shall forget the mans white
irawn face, that day when he told US
le could not interfere in the case OF a I
10Y condemned to die for murder 1t
vas the first time the life of a human I
'eing had hung absolutely upon his
PERSONAL decision ! know now that |
n that case, as in many a case after
ward, he had fine-cOmbed the record |
or some reason within the scope Of !
lis lawful powers. as he construed the !
aw. which would justify him in saw
ng that boys life.
GluttOn For Work.
The man is q gluttOn for work Some
dea Of nj unbelievable appetite for
lard personable labor may be gained /
rom the fact that he taught under
fellowship from the law school had |
private class besides, and during the !
LAYS worked like horse in the law
'ffice- Somewhere there is a diploma I
certifying that ne crowded into those
'usy months course in stenography /
md acquired a speed OF $50 words a
minute
Many things. true and untrue. friend
Y and unfriendly. have been said
bout Hughes since he became a pub
ic figure With equanimity he has
'orne alike praise and blame But
me thing that he knows is commonly
hought and said of him cuts him to
he quick He does not understand II,
nd never has got used to it, That is
hat he is a human icicle''-a think
ng machine; an austere person. slave
y conviction, and the letter of the
aw; an animated Puritan conscience,
Without sympathy or passions.