The Washington herald., 1918-05-21
HUGHES STAYS
RIGHT ON JOB
Aircraft Investigator One
Who Will Give His
Whole Time.

spoken of or to as Judge Hughes,
but more frequently as Governor
Hughes) will in all probability be
compelled to defer or perhaps aban-
don some important professional
opportunities which are at hand. be-
cause IL he undertakes the investi-
cation of the aircraft production
and the various reports which have
been circulated in relation to 1t. he
win give his entire time to that
work That was his way when. as
counsel for the legislative commit
tee. he conducted the investigation
into some of the insurance COM
panies of New York. Then. how
ever. Governor Hughes. plain Mr..
Hughes at that time, was aware
that the legislature would appro-
PIRATE a sum that would be re-
garded as adequate payment for his
services. Such appropriation was
made. Now no one excepting tho
President and the Attorney Cen
eral know what compensation. IA
any. is to be given for the service
which President Wilson has invited
him to undertake. Whether it be
one dollar or some thousands of dol
. lars would make no difference to
Governor Hughes.
The selection of Governor Hughes
for this important duty has been
spoken of here as perhaps the finest
illustration of the Presidents ca.
pacity to Judge what the expedient
and the best thing to do is. of
course when Governor Hughes be-
gins the investigation and even be-
fore he is prepared for this work.
the entire country will recognize
that -, he
will not allow any partisan influ-
ence OF any consideration of a per-
sonal character to shift him from
the main line or the side lines of
the investigation.
Lacks Personal Magnetism.
The distinguishing personal char
acteristics. and especially the tenn
permanent which Identifies Governor
Hughes, have always been recog-
mixed by politicians as not the quail
tiles which enable a man to sue
coed greatly in political manage
ment and party leadership. 1t has
sometimes been thought that had
he possessed a little more of that
peculiar quality which for want of
a better name is called personal
magnetism. which specially disting-
uished James G. Blaine, and has dis
tinguished Theodore Roosevelt. he
might have easily won the Presi-
Dental election of 1915.
But II these be defects somewhat
disqualifying him for personal po-
litical leadership the qualities are
precisely those which have made
him eminent as an investigator. He
was a man of ice when conducting
times appeals were made to him by
men who were friends of insurance
officers whose transactions were un-
der investigation. with intent to
persuade him to go easily into in
yestigations so far as these insur-
ance men were concerned. But he
was immovable- His course did
cause some arrangements which,
even after he became candidate for
President, were not eliminated.
His intellectual quality. and his
temperament constitute him perhaps
the greatest of investigators, at
least since Samuel ]. Tilden con-
Quoted the investigation into the cor
rupt relations of William NJ. Tweed
to New York City. In some re-
spects Governor Hughes resembles
Governor Tilden. particularly in the
intellectual clarity of thought and
in the ability to discern in a vague
and apparently meaningless record
or statement testimony which, sup
ported by evidence. was sure to be
conclusive. Like Tilden's mind. that
of Hughes IL mathematical. although
that word does not fully explain
the meaning. He sees things with a
mathematician clearness and is able
to express them in speech or written
report with the accuracy of a math-
ematical calculation.
Examined Thoroughly.
It was said of Hughes just after
the insurance investigation that the
justices OF the Court of Appeals of
New York State. whose chief JUS
tiCe. before whom Hughes apreared,
was Alton P. Plrker-now, like Mr..
Hughes, a defeated candidate for the
presidency-always observed that in
his arguments Hughes made no dis
tinction between those things which
we're essential to maintain his case
and those which were not vital, for
hs regarded everything as essential
The justices sometimes tired of his
unnecessary prolixity. believing that
this eminent counsel should have con-
fined himself to the vital point at
issue. But this characteristic was
of especial value to him when he
vas conducting the insurance inves-
tigation. Nothing was unimportant.
No trace or clue was too insignificant
to be followed up. and in this way
he built up a record which was con-
elusive. whereby the legislature was
enabled to enact statutes which cor
rected the insurance evils and Hughes
himself became inevitably me Re-
publican candidate for governor not
only once, but twice, and served in
that ONCE until President Taft ap-
pointed him Associate Justice of the
Supreme Court.
No strategy of insinuation or of
what Is now sometimes called camou-
hage will avail with Governor Hughes
while he is conducting this investiga-
ton into the aircraft production.
When he is finished with 1t the coun-
try may be certain that the full rec
ord will have been obtained and will
he available for such use as the
President or Congress finds 1t ex-
pedient to make
Governor Hughes. from the r,ate-
rial point Of view, has been fortunate
in his retirement from the sunrenoe
Court bench although he was de-
teated for the presidency by a very
narrow margin. 1t Is the understand
kng among lawyers that hishIy profit
abie professional practice has come
10 him and IT has been a common
saying that his earnings from the
practice Of his profession since 1915
rave exceeded the aggregate Of his
alary while serving as Supreme
court Justice. In only one other case
Pn record Is there precedant 20 thfs