The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-02-21
HUGHES LIKELY
TO RUN THINGS
Belief He VIII Head State
Department in Fact as
in Name Sos
HAS .
MARKED HIS CAREER

FIRST Came Into Public Eyes Through
Ability i'm Investigating New York Gas
and Insurance Companies - Former
Supreme Court Justice.
NEW YORK, Feb. 2I.-General salts
faction expressed here over the formal
announcement Saturday afternoon that
Charles Evans Hughes is to be secre-
tary of state in the Harding cabinet is
coupled with the belief that Mr. Hughes |
himself and nobody else viii be secre-
tary of state as long as he holds the |
portfolio. Independence of thought and
action have always characterized his |
public career. Ability in conducting in
vestigations of New York gas and in
surance companies laid the foundation
tor his rise as Il public man.
Mr. Hughes refused the nomination
| for mayor of New York city because his
! work OF investigation was not finished
| He was then nominated and elected gov
ernor, renominated and reelected, APP
pointed justice of the United States
| supreme court, and was the nominee of
| his party for president III 1916.
Nh. Hughes was be- April IL, 1862
in Glens Falls, \. Y, the son of a Bap-
/ fist minister. During his childhood the
! Hughes family moved TO Newark, where
| he received his elementary education.
He became u student at Colgate uniyer-
slty when IA years old, but later went
! TO Brown university, where he was
graduated in 1881 1t was the family's
wish that he follow his father in the
ministry, but he decided to study law
and entered Columbia law school. He
was graduated and was admitted to the
bar in 1884
Mr.. Hughes became clerk in the of
fee of Chamberlain, Carter & Horn
blower. In 1888 he married Miss An
toinette Carter, daughter Of w. 5. Car
ter, senior member of the firm, and
later became u member himself. During
a period OF comparative i'll health Mr.
II hughes was professor of law at Cor
nell university in 1891 and 1882, returning
later to practice here.
Mr.. Hughes's first public service was
as counsel for the Stevens Gas commits
sion in 1905. He disclosed flaws in some
| franchises, proved the expiration of
others. and by his report brought about
legislation that eliminated some evils
in the local war situation and cut the
gas rate to 50 cents a thousand feet.
The ability shown by Mr. Hughes in
this Investigation led to his selection as
counsel of tile Armstrong committee
which undertook an investigation OF the
| life insurance COMPANIES doing business
| I-in the state. In that capacity Mr..
| Hughes unTaVeled complicated situations
| aud exposed mismanagemcnt and, in
some cases corruption. As a result OF
> the diseIosures made under -his direction,
wholesale reforms We're made in the
insurance business through the amend
ment OF the state laws.
| Mr.. Hughes was nominated the fol
lowing year 1906 for governor by the
Republican party and was elected. lie
was reelected two years later, despite
the opposition OF many organization
leaders.
Among the measures urged by Mr.
N Hughes while governor, was a bill to es-
tablish Public Service commissions,
which was opposed by many. politicians
as destroying patronage. When opposed
on this bill by majority OF the party
in the legislature, Mr. Hughes appealed
to the people and aroused such public
sentiment in its favor that the bill was
passed.
Mr.. Hughes also aroused resentment
in his party for the vigor with which
| he. attacked race track gambling. He
again appealed to the people and sue
ceeded in having anti-gambling laws en-
acted.
In 1908 the state Republican conven-
ton endorsed Mr.. Hughes as a candidate
for the presidency, but President Roos-
evelt's irsistence upon William ii. Taft
as his successor destroyed his chance
Shortly before the expiration of his sec
Z Ond term as governor he was appointed
to the supreme court bench by Presi
dent Taft.
Mr.. Hughes was again mentioned for
the presidency in 1912, but he refused
to permit the use of his name. In 1916
\ however, he was nominated for presi-
dent He resigned his seat on the bench
to make the campaign.
4 The election was so close that the re-
suit was not known for several days
the vote of California. which was cast
for President Wilson. finally turning the
\ scale
After his defeat, Mr.. Hughes returned
to this city and resumed the practice OF
| law. In 1918, President Wilson ap'
pointed him to conduct an Investigation
\ of the airplane situation. After a thor
K ouch inquiry. Mr. Hughes made a re
port, placing responsibility for the de
\ lays.
During the controversy over the league
of nations. Mr.. Hughes, although ap
proving some of the purposes sought tC
be ACCOMPLISHED by the league, expressed
I opposition to Article y of the covenant
I and in replying to President Wilson ono,
said that the league had a bad heart
During the last presidential campaign
4 Mr.. Hughes supported President cleo
Harding effectively, and his speeches
4 were REGARDED as among the best mad
on the Republican side.
NJ Mr.. Hughes's family consists of IN
I wife. two daughters and a son, Charlie
IL f. Hughes, ir.. who IS a lawyer III TIN
city.
r-aF, CNTTTH TnNNER RIIJ