10 A
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: JUNE 11, 1916
Charles Evans Hughes, Nominee of the
. Republican Party, in Limelight Ten Years
then y
Charles Evans Hughes was born
in Glenn Falls, N. Y., April 11, 1862.
He obtained his education at Colgate
university, not far from his home, and
at Brown university, where he also
' studied law. He received the degree
of LL.D. from Columbia, Knox and
Lafayette. -
Aside from his career in the prac
tice of law. Judge Hughes did not
become a national figure until about
ten years ago. when he became the
attorney for the Armstrong coimnit-
- tec of the New York legislature,
investigating the relations of corpora
- bona, insurance companies in particu
lar, to the law-making powers of the
state. Previous to that time New
. York had been governed politically, it
had been said, by a group of "grand
dukes," -who ruled their various prov
inces and the state with satisfaction
to themselves and demotion to the
great interests that consideied prac
tical attention to political matters es
sential to their continued success.
These interests were, more than any
others, the transportation and insur
ance companies. The public was be
ing exploited by these corporations,
and these corporations were, in turn,
being exploited by the few individuals
who held strategic corporate positions.
They regarded the public only as a
gold mine to be worked; the legisla
ture as a convenient source of increas
ing riglus, and administrative and
executive officers only as servants to
do their bidding.
Big Interests Exposed.
But tliey coulc not still the dissatis
faction of the public. Each of the
three great interests was in turn sub
jected to the proper exposure, chas
tisement and curb that an aroused
public can and will administer.
' Charles E. Hughes was the instru
ment that fittingly did the work of
the public.
His investigations and his guberna
torial administrations pnt an end alike
to the combined corporate and politi
cal monarchy that ruled the state for
its own benefit. The people came
back to their own, both in the con
trol of the corporations, to which they
bad given life, and in the political con
trol of the state. He was denounced
by leaders of that day of even his own
party, but subsequent realization of
his worth and work made his official
record the standard and light house.
Politically, it is sufficient to point out
that Governor Whitman and other re
publican party leaders are now his
warmest advocates. ,
-.. It was in 1905 that the legislature
ppointed a joint' "o.nmittee to in
vestigate the price charged for gas
and electricity in New York City, con
trolled by the great Consolidated Ga
company, This committee, after care
ful thought, chose as its counsel Mr.
Hughes. Under his lead the conimit-
tee made a painstaking study of the
conditions controlling the lighting in
dustry. The results of the commit
tee's work were expressed in bills re
ducing the prices for gas and elec
tricity, specifically the "80-cent" gas
bill. In 1905 this hill failed under
circumstances that so aroused public
indignation that its passage the fol
'owing year was made inevitable. .
Investigate Insurance Companies.
In 1905 the legislature also IP
s' pointed a joint committee to investi
gate life insurance companies. Chosen
by this second committee as Its coun
lel, Mr. Hughes brought to bear all
of his great devotion, concentration,
training and experience. He plunged
", into the work, mastering details of
accounting and insurance problems,
and revealed the entire exploitations
c' insurance. The disclosure startled
the community and the country and
- resulted in the passage by the legis
' lature, without amendment, of the
remedial bills drawn by Mr, Hughes
inc gas aim insurance iiivciiigaiioni
stand as striking examples of the
value of speedy and thorough legisla
tive inquiries, .
During the course of the investi
gations Mr. Hughes was offered the
j, ft ifim 1 " ,
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'Mr,
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CHARLES EVANS HUGHES.
republican nomination for mayor of
New York Xity. This he declined,
saying:-
f'In my judgment I have no right to
accept the nomination. A paramount
public duty forbids it. It is not nec
essary to enlarge upon the import
ance of the insurance investigation.
1 hat is undisputed. It is dealing with
questions vital to the interests of mil
lions of our fellow citizens through
out the land, it presents an oppor
tunity for public service second to
none, and involves a correlative
responsbility. I have devoted my
self undeservedly to . this work. It
commands all my energies. It is im
perative that I continue it."
In the;, following summer in 1906,
the republican convention nominated
Mr. Hughes for governor by acclama
tion. His work in the insurance mat
ters was at that time at an end, and
he accepted. He made an effective
campaign, covering the whole state.
He was elected in November, run
ning against William Randolph
Hearst although the rest of the re
publican ticket went down to defeat.
The legislature, however, was repub
lican. - '
The acceptance and inaugural
speeches of Mr. Hughes and his talk
in the .'campaign expressed promises
with respect to reforms in law and
administration which were unique in
meaning, though not in form. Such
promises had been made before by
candidates for public office, but they
differed in this: Mr, Hughes not only
meant the promises when he volun
tarily made them, but he carried them
out, after the flection was over, in
letter and in spirit In this respect
it may be said that his promise and
performance uniquely coincided. As
a New Yorker said: '"We know Mr.
Hughes has his convictions and does
not hesitate to express them and
carry them out. Therefore we com
mend to the country the expressions
of belief and conviction found in the
speeches and papers of Governor
Hughes.",
In his first legislative session he
recommended a law creating a com
mission to regulate public service
corporations, because he believed that
such corporations existed, not for ex
ploitation by a few, but to render
safe adequate service at just and rea
sonable rates, with proper equipment,
capitalized under proper regulations,
and with accounts uniformly kept and
access:lle.
War Against Interests. .
This, in New York, was a declara
tion of war on the control by vested
interests over legislative and admini
strative action. The legislature had
passed the Hughes bills on gas and
electricity and i,isurance,v but here
was a proposal that fixed restrictions
and regulations, on all great utilities.
It meant the end of "strike" legisla
tion. It even prohibited passes. Legis
lators began discussing the principles
involved in a struggle between the
executive and the legislative, and de
nounced the efforts of the governor
to "impose" legislation on the law
making body. It looked like real
trouble, but Governor Hughes settled
it in a characteristic way. ,
The governor appealed to the
"peopl., setting forth in plain,
vigorous English his understanding of
the law needed to protect the public
interests. The people responded and
their representatives in the legislature
were glad to pass' a public service
commi.jion law, which ' has since
come to be a model for enactmet by
ether-states. To an observer of the
day it was interesting to see the anger
of the legislators and politicians, be
cause the governor did not attempt to
gain the legislation he wished by the
accepted methods, namely log rolling
and patronage. They objected to this
new-fangled idea of bringing the peo
ple in, Hughes was breaking up the
game nd introducing rew ana un
tried rules, the workings of which
they could not foresee.
Gains Radical Reforms.
Hughes had - thus,-, in less than
three years, gained for the public as
the result of his work as counsel and
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goernor, radical reforms in insur
ance and utility management and
control, and specific laws so reducing
lighting rates as to save millions of
dollars to consumers in New York
City. Policy holders knew they had
security, and utility patrons knew
they were to have more immediate
avenues of relief than by laborious
efforts to gain legislative action on
local or specific evils. The influence
of these reforms was nation-wide.
They have been the outposts of
sound standards for constructive re
forms and legislation throughout
the country.
In spite of the wishes of theparty
bosses. Governor Hugiies .was re
nominated and re-elected in '908 In
that camoaiun it was fe.. by his sup
porters that while republican organi
zation would devote itseit to tne usual
campaign .work of a combined state
and national election, additional em
phasis should be placed on the re
election of Governor Hughes. Con
sequently the Hughes alliance was
formed, made up largely of men from
professional and business life who had
not formerly been interested in poli
tics, that organization was a most
striking illustration of a fact which
was not realized and which seems not
enough to have been realized at the
present crisis. This was the extraor
dinary appeal Hughes had to that
great mass of voters, who for some
reason the political leaders are not
able tc appreciate. They are the
ones who read and think, and vote as
they think. They are not reached by
party machinery, and their views are
in consequence, not obtainable by
party captains and leaders. They were
and are for Hughes. From every
quarter the Hughes alliance received
aid. Eager to do its work were men
who had never before thought about
campaign. Money came in until there
was more than sufficient. Every
where among the thinking voters ex
isted then and now an abiding faith
in Hughes.
Refused Patronage Offers.
The governor had not used patron
age for his own or anyone else's bene
fit, and he refused the benefits of
patronage distributable by others.
The appeal rested upon a deep-seated
belief that he was thoroughly trained,
thoroughly honest and sincere, and
completely devoted to the interests
of hi great client the public.
His methods of campaigning were
most effective. It has been said that
no other man is his equal. One of
the strong speeches of that campaign
was that of Governor Hughes in
Youngstown, O., where the eloquence
and cogent arguments of the great
New Yorker did much to turn the
tide in the middle western states
away from Bryan. This speech fixed
in the mind of the public the fact
that a statesman had arrived.
Thousands of votes for the ticket
were made in his own state by the
governor's clever answers to queries
propounded to hjm by his democratic
opponent, L. S. Chanler, They were
upon special and local issues of such
a nature that they might have em
barrassed a less able or honest a cam
paigner. The result stamped his
methods of high strategic quality.
The governor had no fear of any
Questioner, and it may be added they
iffered but little from those that
now confront the country. ,
Believes in Preparedness.
Governor Hughes believed in pre
paredness and was an earnest ad
vocate of an adequate army and navy.
No man has a migher conception of
true , Americanism. In one of his
speeches he said:
"We are devoted to the interests oi
peace and we cherish no policy of
aggression. The maintenance of our
ideals is our greatest protection. It
is our constant aim to live in friend
ship with all nations, and to realize
the aims of a free government, secure
from the interruptions of strife and
the wastes of war. It is entirely con
sistent with these aims, and it is our
duty to make adequate ,rovision for
our defense a.id to maintain the effi
ciency of our army and navy. This
I favor." "
At Youngstown Governor Hughes
declared that in the absence of for
mal written platforms the antecedents
of candidates became their plat
forms." In 1881, when he was graduated
from Brown university, he was as
signed one of two p.izes annually
awarded to the two members of the
graduating class,' who shall in the
judgment of the faculty unite in the
i degiee ability, character and
attainment. As a practicing lawyer, as
. j, .. ajx as jiiuEt
ie h?s alwavs earned confidence and
loyalty. His engaging personality,
his great ability as a cogent speaker,
belief in the people, all aided him in
attaining the mark reached before the
present conflict. He has had varied
and exacting experience in the draft
ing f legislation, in the administra
tion and execution of laws, and also
:.n their interpretation.
Never Committed Himself.
It was in the early administration
of President Taft that Mr. Hughes
was named for the supreme bench.
Since that time he has had a large
part in the deciding of many import
ant questibns. He refused through
out the long preliminary contest tc
commit himself in any way. And he
took care, too, not to say that if
the burdens of party leadeiship werr
laid upon him, without the slightest
effort on his part, he would decline
to take the honor.
Some forget the human side of
Judge Hughes. He has been des
cribed as a political iceberg. Nothing
could be more untrue. His public
achievements have obscured the per
sonal side of his character, but it is
sufficient to say he has intense1 human
nature, keen luve for his fellows, con
sideration for the rights of others,
and all those other attributes that
go to make the great man To him
public office is a public trust, and
those chosen to be the servants of
the people are not mere tools of
political bosses. "They are public
trustees, charged with tlie high duty
of administering their off'ces to the
best interests of all classes of the
people
Dangeroun Bronchial Cough.
Dr. King'. New Discovery will give quick
relief In bronchial irritation and bronchial
asthma; allays Inflammation, eases sore
spota. All druggists. Advertisement.
Answer Given to
Anti-Saloonists
On Bond Question
Mayor Dahlman and the Omaffa
city council have responded 'to the
petition of F. A. High, superintend
ent of the Anti-Saloon league, who
asked that the bonds furnished to sa
loon keepers be declared void and that
the licenses be revoked. The reply
states that at the tin-e the licenses
were granted there was nothing
against the Illinois Surety company:
that there should be no necessity of
getting new bonds and that the li
censes ought not to be revoked. It
was also stated that, in the belief of
the respondents, although the com
pany is in the hands of a receiver, it
is solvent
Wide Fluctuation
In Prices on Corn
While wheat on the Omaha market
touched $1.02for the best grades, gen
erally prices were 1 to 2 cents lower
than Friday. There were sixty-seven
carloads on th market and prices
ruled from 87 cents to $1.02 per
uuauci. -
Tuere was : mide fluctuatibn in the
price of corn, ranging from 65 to 71
cents per bus'.eL The cereal sold
& up to 2 cents lelow the prices of
Frid.'.y. . There were sixtj -five cars
on the mar' et.
Oats were '4 cent off, selling at
37'i3Sy2 cents per bushel. Receipts
were sixteen carloatU.
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1H
