Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-10
Career of Charles E. Hughes
One of Able Public Service
Described as an Indefatigable Worker, With
passion for Democracy Won Recogni-
ton as Investigator of big Business.

Charles Evans Hughes. republican
nominee for President Of the United
States, was born in Glens Falls. N. Y,
April IL, 1852. and is now fifty-four
years old. His father was David C.
Hughes, a clergyman.
He was appointed to the Supreme
Court by President Taft in 1910. and
resigned the governorship Of New York
to take his seat on the bench. Since
that time he has served continuously on
the Supreme Court and has been recog-
nised as one of the ablest judges now
serving.
Before being appointed to the Su-
preme bench. Justice Hughes was
widely talked of as a probable NOM
inee for the presidency on the repub-
lican ticket to succeed President Taft.
His appointment, however. put an end
to such talk. and for the last six years
he had been entirely out of politics.
Won Fame as Investigator.
Justice Hughes first won public
recognition by his work as an investi-
gator of two pieces of corporate man.
examination of the gas and electric
lighting companies of Greater New
York, and the other the examination of
the affairs of the life insurance COM
panies of the state.
Justice Hughes was graduated from
Brown University when he was only
suffered for years under the handicap
of poor health. AS soon as he left
college he began to teach Greek and
mathematics in Delaware county, go
ing later to the Columbia Law School,
where he had won a small scholarship
There he displayed his true caliber. for
while keeping well at the head of his
classes .he taught for three years in a
night school attached to the college
had private classes of law students
on the remaining nights the week
and at the same time was an active
law clerk in the offices of Chamberlain
Carter & Hornblower.
Two years after his graduation
found him teaching law at Cornell.
Enters Practice of Law.
The quietness of academic life soon
palled on him. and he left his chair al
Cornell to engage in active practice
with the late Walter S. Carter, OF
Brooklyn, his father-in-law. Soon
after returning to active practice-this
was in .1ss3-Mr Hughes was sent to
Oregon as the representative of the
bondholders of an unsuccessful rail-
road company. 1t took him seven
months to straighten affairs out and
h +,
ing the court member of the new firm
of Carter, Hughes & Dwight.
When Mr.. Hughes took up the inves-
t1gation of the gas trust the general
public had to be told who and what
he was. When the work of the Stevens
committee was over and the first real
steps toward cheaper gas had become
assured facts, the public had a good
idea of what kind of a man had beer
chosen for the task. although 1t took
his name literally a household word
But Mr.. Hughes had done much work
before the gas investigation moved the
spotlight in his direction.
In Big Legal Fights.
Some of the big legal fights in which
he appeared are more than worthy OF
notice. Among these big cases was
the fight of the New York, westchester
and Boston Railroad Company to get
franchise from the board of alder
men, in which he appeared against the
company's rival, the New York and
Port Chester Railroad Company. He
was also counsel for the assignee OF
John E. Searles, the sugar man who
failed; he supported ex-Sheriff Erlan-
ger in his fight to abolish arrest and
Imprisonment for civil action; he was
on tho MerCanfila Trust Cnm
pany at the time of the shipbuilding
trust scandal, and was one of the coun-
sci for James w. Alexander in the first
part of the fight to Dust James H
Hyde from the control of the Equitable
Life Assurance Society.
His part in the searching investiga-
ton of the insurance business and the
iniauities which he disclosed are still
a matter of cotemporaneous news and
comment.
All unsought. his work in that in
vestieation brought him the nomina-
ton by the republicans for mayor OF
New York city. Mr.. Hughes had made
absolutely no effort to &c. the ne, n9 IN II
way through his speech nominating
Hughes before the convention knew
who was being proposed Then, IN
tumult of enthusiasm, he was nomi-
mated by reclamation. Three days
later Mr.. Hughes, believing that his in
surapce work was perhaps still unfin-
;shad declined the nomination. which
w.s then given to william NJ WINS.
MI Hughes was special assistant to
49, Attorney General in the matter OF
coal Investigation in 1906.
Governor of New York:
ue was elected governor of New
York on the republican ticket for two
terms, one from January 1. 1907. to
81, 1908. and the other from
January 1, 1908, to December 81. 1910.
He was appointed by President Taft
to he an associate justice of the Su-
nreme Court in 1910 and was confirmed
by the Senate May 2. 1910. He resigned
october 6. 1910. and took his seat on
the bench October 10.
While Governor of New York. Mr.
Hughes refused to be controlled or
guided by the political machine of the
state. He was independent in his ap
he put through the legis-
Iature laws which he conceived were
needed to safeguard the public-in par
ticular, the public utilities law to regu
late public service corporations. 1t
was fought vigorously by the great
of the state, but in vain.
Gov. Hughes had the people with him
and the legislature was afraid of the
people.
Vetoed Two-Cent Fares.
Later Gov. Hughes vetoed the So
called 2-cent fare bill. This method
IF getting back" at the railroads was
-r;ad IN ho Nau york 1a1ie1atu and