Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-25
HUGHES AND TAFT
ARE POSSIBILITIES
FOR HIGHEST COURT
Harding's Election Will Mean
Elevation of Distinguished
Men, 1t Is Believed.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Charles Evans Hughes and William
Howard Taft probably will be ap-
pointed to the first two vacancies on
the Supreme Court of the United
States that may occur after March 4
next in the event that Senator Hard
ing is elected President. .es,..,..,
This is the i'm preston IN wsii inSl
formed quarters here, where it is also
stated rather positively that there
will be at least twoIs6unarf f0r6j
long on the bench Of the htkht court 1
in the land. The certainty that
Messrs. Hughes and TAFT viii be the
based upon, logical circumatances. as
well as the known friendship and ad-
miration which Senator Harding has
for the two men who have contrib
uted SO much toward the republican
cause in the past
Mr.. Hughes was on the bench.
happy and contented, when the call. Of
the republican party came in 1915
He was reluctant to be a candidate
He didn't lift finger to get the nomf
ination. Indeed. it was feared Hk
would not accept. and the story g9 S
that Mr.. Taft, who originally appoij IL
ed Mr.. Hughes to the bench, spent ! the
evening before the Chicago nonI "A
tion with Mr.. Hughes in WashiH Ston
and persuaded him to make the race
He made the fight and was def Gated.
His return, to private practiyA has
been lucrative. but those wing knew
Hughes best say he has beef. home
sick for the Supreme bench.
Taft Urged for vaea1 ey.
AS for Mr.. Taft, there wasJ a vacancy
on the bench just; befot e Instice
Clarke of Ohio was appoiH ed and ths
friends Of the republican I .x-President
wrote sn1 r@;n many h;ne letter to esident vii
makes any comment oj, these thin~
but at the time conY .derabie gossip
ran around the NatioY al Capital to the
effect that Mr.: Taft lad fallen out Of
cause of the supp9rt which he (Mr.
Taft gave toward the moveXsent for
the election of epublican Congress
The political II ,rtunes of Mr.. Taft
and Mr.. Hughes have been bound to-
gether for many years The elevation
Of Gov Hughey to the Supreme bench
came in Octoh r, 1910, at time when
gossip had iH that Mr.. Taft was en-
deavoring to remove from the political
renominatig q in 1912. -
Both Mry Taft and Mr.. Hughes by
their puby ished statements and com
municatfg ns took a stand on the
league oyi nations before the Chicago
g es frem tns tss sns .sa
by Ser rator, Harding. 1t is no secret
that he republican nominee and his
pollt cal associates have been more or
less anxious about the dilemma of
me|i like Mr.. Taft or Mr.g Hughes or
NJ Hoover, who had committed them
81 Ives to views quite opposite to those
III Hiram Johnson.
yote-Getting Position.
| On the other hand, the political ad-
| vice that has been. given the republi-
can nominee is that the Hiram John
son view is at the moment a better
vote-getting position. His worries
about the other elements in the repub-
lican party have caused many a con-
| ference.
The feeling here is that the consul
tation with Mr.. Hughes means some
| what of a turn toward the Hughes
Taft position on the ratification of the
treaty of. Versailles rather than-as
| some democrats here would have it-a
bid for their support on the expectation
Of appointment. to the Supreme Court
later on. Neither Mr., Taft nor Mr.
Hughes is the type of statesman to
| whom promises of reward would ap-
peal in matter so vital to them as
| the league of nations. issue. and 'Sena-
| tor Harding is considered here too
high-grade an individual to play that
| kind of politics ..
So the general inference which is
being drawn by those who are in a
| nosition to know what is going on in
| side the republican camp is that Sena-
tor Harding will soon make a speech
probably on Saturday next-ampli-
fying his league of nations views in
such way as will command the more
hearty support of those who have
shared the views of Messrs. Taft and
Hughes. So.
| The impression exists, too. that
Senator Harding has been persuaded
| to believe that he will get the bitter
ender" or 'irreconcilable" support
anyway and that he might just as well
| approximate the position that he was
in when he voted for the ratification
of the treaty Of Versailles and the
entrance of the United States in the
present league Of nations, with the
Lodge reservations.
Cepysigkt, lA2A.