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Most people viewed Mr. Hughes's corporation practice with equanimity, begrudged him none of his "real money." Not so Henry Latham Doherty, oil and public utility tycoon, head of Potent Cities Service Corp., who spoke out against Mr. Hughes's nomination. Wrote he: "No Justice of the Supreme Court should capitalize into wealth the prestige and influence acquired. ... He should neither expect nor receive appointment to the position of Chief Justice. . . . There are rumors afloat that a huge and uncontrollable political machine has been built up whereby governmental control will be lodged in the hands of a few men and, with the confirmation of Judge Hughes, the control will embrace each of three coordinate branches of the Federal Government. . . . We'll be fortunate if we don't wake up to find the Supreme Court has handed down opinions which will give a monopoly in perpetuity to some one corporation. . . ."
Though many people consider Mr. Doherty's opinions on public questions as less sound than his views on utilities, he did reflect a minority opposition which mustered two out of ten votes in the Senate Judiciary Committee against the Hughes nomination.
Meanwhile the Senate's ultimate confirmation appeared certain. Mr. Hughes hurried last week to close out his connection with his firm and assume his centre seat on the court when it reassembles Feb. 24.
"Plan of Study." No great sagas fancifully encrust the childhood of "Charlie" Hughes. He was born April 11, 1862 at Glens Falls, N. Y. His father, a Welsh immigrant, was a Baptist minister, poor in goods, rich in classic learning. The boy at five started school at Oswego, N. Y., only to return to his father a few weeks later with a paper written by him and headed: "Charles Evans Hughes' Plan of Study." After that he was taken out of school, given home instruction by his parents. The family moved to Newark, N. J., then on to New York City where Charles attended "Old 35 Grammar School," wrote precocious essays on "The Evils of Light Literature," "The Limitation of the Human Mind."
From Madison (now Colgate) College he transferred to Brown from which he was graduated in 1881 with honors. The parental wish that he enter the Baptist ministry he rejected, to turn to law. He was graduated, No. 1 in his class, from Columbia Law School in 1884. He immediately entered the law firm of Chamberlin, Carter & Hornblower, was made a partner and married Miss Antoinette Carter, daughter of the firm's senior member.*
Crusader. Lawyer Hughes's public career began in 1905 when he was named counsel to the Stevens Gas Commission, created by the New York Legislature. A remarkable investigator on fire with public zeal, Counsel Hughes exposed the Consolidated Co.'s gas monopoly, forced rates based on overcapitalization down 20%. With this crusade over, he plunged into the next as counsel for the Armstrong Insurance Commission which dredged up the hidden slime of insurance companies' greed and corruption. Popular acclaim swept him into the Governorship in 1906 over William Randolph Hearst. There he proceeded to execute the pledges of a "reform" administration. He was re-elected on the promise to drive horseracing and gambling out of the State.
Red Whiskers. In that period Mr. Hughes's whiskers were large and red and