Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-11-08
HUGHES NEVER HAS BEEN
SEEKER AFTER OFFICE
Prominent in Public Life of the
Nation in Spite OF
Himself.
IGNORES PATH TO WEALTH
Believed His Career Had Been
Rounded Out and LiYe's Ambition
Realized When lie Went ON United
States Supreme Bench.

states Supreme Bench.
Charles Evans hughes has been
prominent in the official life Of
the nation in spite OF himself.
or him Il may truly be said he was
never a seeker after Office. Ills atti-
tude Of noncotninittal silence during
the recent Chicago Republican conven-
ton was only typical Of his whole
career.
He was offered the nomination for
Mayor OF New York at "a time when 1,
seemed certain he would be elected
and refused the honor because he want
ed To complete his valuable work in
v~estigatinG the life Insurance COM
panics.
lie accepted the summons to be his
party's nominee for Governor OF the
Empire State oniy because he believed
duty called him TO the place.
When he became associate justice
Of the United States Supreme Court
his lies ambition vas realized. AMI
he believed his career had been round
ed out. But the events OF the last two
years in American life moved him
deeply. and whcn the Republicans.
without any move of his hand. selected
~ last - bIIt
ne again considered il; hls duty TO nc-
cept and run the bcs, race he WAS
capable of for the greatest honor which
can be granted By the American people.
NEVER 4 TRIED
re ACQUIRE WEALTH
Equally with Official places. Mr..
Hughes has ignored the path to wealth.
While he was Governor and was con-
til.ri,D tI. ~<f.r VA 49, ---
bench. hiss friends pointed out 10 him
that with his recognized ability hud
immense prestige. ne could re-enter
law practice ar the close Of his term
In Albany and soon anass Il great for
tune. This did not appeal
TO him. He had enough money 10 sup
port him and his family well. and did
not greatly care for more.
sir. Hughes Tas born In Glcns Fails,
New York, APRIL IL. 1862. and Is there
fore now fifty-rour years old. His
father was 81 Baptist clergyman. Rev.
David Charles Hughes. OF Welsh de-
scent. His mother befor. her marriage
was Hiss Catherine Connolly.
The future President got his frs;
education from hiss talented mother.
He attended public chool I'm oswcgo,
N. Y, Newark. y. j.. and New York
City. where In June. 1873. he dcliv-
cred the salutatory address In Gram
mar School No. 80 1T The AK. Of thlr-
teen.
When fourteen years old he entered
Madison ,now Colcate) College, at
Hamilton. y. y. and two years later
changed 10 Brown University, In Provi-
dcncc. y. l.. Here lie won the Dunn
ireniutn for the best work Of his class
in Erpllsb ilier.tlrc .pI v.L ,r,,,
Der of the editorial staff OF the Bru-
Honian.
GRADUATES At BROW
At & OF NINETEEN
Mr.. hughes was graduated from
Brown AZ the age OF nineteen in the
class OF 1851. standing third in scholar
hip and delivering the class Grafton.
He also took on. OF the two Carpenter
premiums. assigned TO the two mem
bcrs Of the senior class who shall
in the judgment OF the faculty. unite
in the highest degree the three mos,
important elements of success in life
ability. character and ataiument.' The
other prize went t. Charles c. Mum
ford. later associat. Justice OF the Su-
pcrior Court of Rhode Island.
For some months young Hughes
taught Greek and mathematics in Della
ware Academy. Delhi, y. Y. ~ pr!n-
cipal OF the academy remarked tina,
Mr.. Hughes would have trouble main
tanning discipline in his classes he.
cause he had mo more beard than an
egg. Mr.. hughes promptly corrected
this lack Of facial foliage. such was
the origin az the famous Hughes beard
In 1852 ne entered Columbia Law
School. New York City. lie also studied
In the Office OF General stewart l.
Woodiord, then United States Distric,
Attorney. Later in his law schoo'
course he acted as clerk in the firm
Of Chamberlain, Carter and Horn
bio yer.
MT. NuGhe was graduated from the
law school and admitted 10 the bar in
1854. lie kept on studying in Columbia
2as a prize fellow from 1854 to 1857
in which year he became Il member Of
the firm mentioned above under the
new name OF Carter. Hughes and era
vath.
BECOMES PROFESSOR
Al CORNELL. UNIVERSITY
Tic young lawyer prosecuted his
work with intense zeal. undermining
his health, so that in 1891 he gladly
accepted AN opportunity to become &
professor z law in CORNELL University
sat Ithaca Y. where the air Is clear
and bracing. Two years later he re.
Joined his old firm. which now wa:
called Carter, Hughes and Dwight.
The nation became acquainted with
Mr.. Hughes in 1905 and 1896, when he
acted as counsel for two important
New York Legislative committees. thu
Stevens committee to Investigate tn,
,.u .,t ln,tr;n ltnltsrr ~ TIE -,