Imperial Valley press., 1930-02-04
LIBERALS
DISLIKE
HUGHES
Disappointed When He Is
Named to Succeed Taft
AS Chief Justice
BORoAH is PEEVED
APPOINTMENT Finds Fa-
vor Generally AS Abil-
ity Widely Recognized
BY THOMAS Ii STOKES
Jnited Press Staff Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4. W.H-
Charles Evans Hughes, whose be-
whiskered face and vibrant, bust
ling personality is SO well known
here, will return to the supreme
court after IA years absence to cap
a public career that is equalled only
by that of the man he succeeds,
Chief Justice William Howard Taft.
In replacing the former President
with the man who Just missed the
Presidency in 1916, President Hoover
has not changed the general COM
plexion of the court. Hughes is re-
garded as conservative OF the
same sort as Taft, and the lineup
still will be six conservatives against
three liberals-the latter being just
ices Holmes, Brandies and Stone.
For this reason, liberals were
somewhat disappointed at the ap-
pointment and Senator Borah of
Idaho, who was prohibition stump
mate of Hughes last year in the
Hoover campaign, is expected to
ask the judiciary committee, to
which the nomination has been re-
ferred, to look into several recent
cases of considerable Importance in
which Hughes sides against the gov
ornment.
Some liberals expressed disap-
pointment over the appointment
with the explanation they expected
President Hoover would take the op-
portunity offered by several expect
ed vacancies during his term to re-
make the court along liberal lines.
The Hughes appointment, they said,
indicates this may not be done.
Hughes high reputation through
out the country in a long and bril-
liant career which began as reform
governor of New York, took him to
the supreme court and almost to the
Presidency, brought praise for his
nomination, however, rather gener-
ally. He left the supreme court i'll
| 1916 to run for President against
Woodrow Wilson.
Acceptance A Surprise
Hughes has received large fees in
recent years since he resigned in
1925 as secretary of state, and he
will take the chief justiceship at q
financial sacrifice. The job pays
$20,500 a year. He has been receiv-
ing fees many times this size.
Hughes acceptance of the post
was surprise here for several reas-
ons. He retired as secretary of
state in 1925 because he said he had
to earn money for his family. He
told some of his friends who wanted
him to be candidate for the Re-
publican nomination in 1928 that
he was too old. He will be 6S in
April. The duties of the chief just
ice are arduous, as is demonstrated
by Taft's breakdown.
The judiciary committee, of which
Senator Norris, Nebraska, leader of
the Western Independent Republi-
cans, is chairman, and of which
Borah is a member, will take up
the nomination Monday.
Taft discussed his retirement with
President Hoover before he left for
Asheville, n. c., three weeks ago,
and Hughes conferred with Mr..
Hoover at the executive offices sew
eral times recently relative to the
offer.
One senator who declined to dis
cuss the appointment was Senator
Hiram Johnson, Republican, Cali
fornia, who is credited with defeat
ing Hughes for the Presidency in
1916. Johnson, so the story goes,
thought he was sighted by the then
Republican Presidential candidate
on a visit to California, and swung
his influence against Hughes. Cal
ifornia's vote for Wilson came in the
day after election to upset Hughes
belief he had been elected.