The sun., 1916-08-20
p, EDWARD

In
? rERE Is Governor Hughes a.
- he appears to a moro or less
/ L neutral student Of this big
worlds events, American and foreign.
big ON both sides OF the ocean with
.uch epoch making and novel interna-
,ionaI events that both American can
didates for the Presidency must take
on an unprecedented Importance; here
Is governor hughes as he seems to
man not very much wrought up owe
campaign issue details.
came home from the European wal
zone for a little visit In the normal
quiet OF a peaceful country after many
months spent among wars loud
alarms. An entire evening spent with
governor Hughes has been an
episode of the vacation. Long before
this article appears in print I shall
have sailed out Of this area Of political
combat into the more fatal but
scarcely more noisy area of European
war. and I shall go full Of an entirely
new conception of this man.
lie will not be interviewed and never
has been. 1t Is a pity. He would
make an ideal subject for the inter-
viewer as I learned during that illu.
minating evening at Bridgehanipton.
had not seen him previously. I ex-
pected 10 find his a coldly aus;ere. ever
somewhat repellant personality. His
high foreheaded. heavily bearded face
never wears a smile In photographs.
But although the scurry Of two or
three secretaries departing 10 I entered
Indicated hat the Governor might
have found other use for his time II I
Rad stayed away there was scarcely
q moment during my talk with him
when behind the famous whiskers did
not lurk curves Of good nature.
Not infrequently these curves in.
tensifed beyond mere smiling. The
' Governor can grin, the Governor can
laugh as heartily as any man I know.
This literally will be news. I take II. to
the great mass Of American people.
Governor Hughes Ut 10 impossible
"a call him Mister" IN It would be
improper to call him Justice" now
that he has resigned from the Supreme
Ibench) Is perfectly aware that he has
achieved the reputation OF habitual
solemnity and even grimness. He
knows it isn't justified and he has his
own theories as to how It came about.
1t seems that he has been fighting
for years against fate in an endeavor
20 dissipate the general impression
that he Is cold and stern. Living
down "A reputation for solemnity has
been one Of the great aims Of his life.
Once or twice he has accomplished Il,
but every tim he has some new COM
plication has arisen which has re.
created the old thought about him
Hughes did not seek the kind Of work
which marked him as a killjoy among
his fellow men. 1t fell on him.
To get at its beginnings We must
20 back a bit. Ever since he became
a man he has been one Of the hardest
workers in this nation Of supreme ef.
fort. He began life without money.
In law school by hard work he wor
prize fellowship. and after the course
began he kept things going by teach
IN; four nights OF every week. two II
Gases and W in private Quizzes
Later for three years he taught three
nights a week n during daytime
did the work OF a clerk in a busy Law
Office. He had very little time. 70,
see. for gayety. but at the end Of tn,
three years he had created so goo,
an impression upon those who had EN-
ployed him that he was taken int
the firm.
Instantly a big law business va
thrust at him and he had to work O.
hard that WI or three years Of I
pretty well wore him out. This mad
him jump AT the offer Of a professor
ship in the Cornell law school. for h
had a wife and children by this time
and required a steady income.
But the aw school steady incom
was not large. and the demand Of hi
former partners as we'll as his nee,
lin back to active practice. He wa
a member of the Republican Club. bu
he had served no political apprentice
ship. and. while his political value wa
recognized. he was regarded In thes
early days as a bit too small for bi
things and a bit too big for sma
ones.
To digress. passing ahead of m
story, his first political speech we
that in which he declined the Reput
lean nomination for the Mayoralty q
New York and his second was that I
which he accepted the nomination fo
the ~Governorship Of New York State.
i have said his grim work fell O
hin. 1t did. after he had gone bac
70 law practice. A Senator whom h
dd not know asked him to DO tn
counsel for the New York State CON
ml'tee devised to study gas. gas price
gas management. gas scandals, ia
influence on politics.
Hughes protested. saying that b
had no wish 10 make a reputation q
a political lawyer. He explained thu
when he started on a case his idea We
70 go through with 1t no matter WI
might he juggernauted as a cons
0nence. II 1t threatened to wreck pa
usan bridges and tear favorltes lin
from limb he could not stop. TT
case once started, he warned thol
VINO urged hin TO it. would 60 on
ne controlled the motOr-and !
wouldn't be a passenger.
whether or not the lawmaker ";
eonfonnded later Il don't snow wi
=" was), Hughes. having started {
me jon. went through with 1t as
hai said he would. He went throul
WIN II and through II. He went 4
Ground il and all over il. He climb
mountains ana spanned valleys. bull
ing MS " roads and bridges. !