The Washington herald., 1916-06-11

! when President Taft appointed him an
Associate Justice. He took his exalted
seat on october l, 1910
Has Heard Famous Cases.
Since becoming an Associate Justice.
Mr.. Hughes has participated in the hear
Ing Of several notable cases, among them
I being the Tobacco Trust and the Stand
ard Oil cases. Not being a member of
the court at the time the later case was
brought to trial he did not hand down
an opinion. In the case Of the Tobacco
I Trust he coincided with Chief Justice
White. who personally wrote the major
ity opinion Of the court. There was.
however, but one dissenting opinion, that
Of the late Justice Harlan
Perhaps the most remarkable thing
about the Republican candidate IA the
suddenness of his rise. His public ca
reer dates only as far back as 1905, when
as an unknown lawyer, 43 years old, he
was engaged by the Stevens legislative
committee to conduct the investigation
! OF the Consolidated Gas COMPANY
! Although that investigation marked the
turning point in his career and brought
him before his fellowmen as a man
OF mark. he declined to act for the COM
mittee until he had been convinced that
l. meant business and that he was to be
given free hand in conducting the in
vestigation.
BY many. Mr.. Hughes has been termed
| cold" and distant" but his friends saw
that 1t is only the manner Of a Just and
conscientious man. who refused to ap-
point undeserving politicians to public
office. Those who know him best saw
that underneath his rather austere rnIen
he has a warm and afrectionate nature.
Charged with Conservatism,
The charge has often been made that
Mr.. Hughes is an ultra-conseravtive.
holding up the law as a sort OF fetish
| to be worshiped. In answer to this. his
friends cite the remark he made at Chau-
tauqua in 1907:
Human society cannot be stable unless
it is progressive"
Again, in an address on washingtons s
Birthday at Chicago In 1908. he said:
The common welfare must be the su-
preme law" This opinion. say his
friends. could not be held by a strict
constructionist. Such a man. they be-
| lleVe, could not become "fossilized'' on
any question.
As further instance of this, his friends
quote again from the address just alluded
to: Special interests must keep their
hands off the government in city, State
and nation. The common welfare must
De the supreme law. The lobbies, which
nave been maintained in legislative halls
the efforts to pervert administration by
securing the service for particular inter-
ests OF those who pose as servants of the
people, the corruption of the sole means
by which the people can express their
Will, have been the effective causes of
public distrust Of government. and fur
nish the most serious pretext for as
saults upon our institutions"
His friends state that this sentiment
marks him as one OF the most conscien-
tous men that ever appeared in Ameri-
can public life
Is Very Religious
The Republican candidate is an Intense
ly religious man and yet is said to be
| very broad in his religious views. He
assisted in the organization of the Bap-
tist Sunday school of which John D.
rockefeller, Jr., is the superintendent
This circumstance is pointed out by his
opponents as evidence that he is too
| closely allied to the great financial inter-
ests to be impartial in dealing with ques-
tions where their interests are concerned.
The most marked mental character
istic OF Mr.. Hughes is, perhaps, his an
alytical faculty, together with a remark
able power of synthesis. AS lawyer he
specialized both in contracts and evil
dence. which exercised both of these
lie career began, he is said to have made
an exhaustive study of political and
! sociological matters until now he has a
remarkable insight into these subjects
The human side of Mr.. Hughes is
shown to conspicuous degree. in his
home. He is intensely devoted to his
family, making his children his compan-
ions whenever possible. and superintend-
ing their education with care and wis
dom. He is great lover of the noun
tains, and every summer finds him either
In the Alps or the Adirondacks-when d
journey abroad is impossible. Being, as
he is, great lover of outdoor life, his
friends say that he is a capital companion
on such occasions. 1t is then that the
geniality of his nature comes to the sur
face and makes him a whole-hearted
participant in the merriment of camp
life