The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-27


which shall receive their support. All the
doctrines which we have thus briefly mentioned
form each of them solid plank; and when
joined together by the spirit of enthusiasm
with which they will be received, will form
platform capable of carrying our candidate to
his seat ON the Supreme Bench.
The Rival Nominations for Supreme
Judge.
IT would be much better il the choice of Judi
cial officers could be kept out of politics. Had
Judge Sharswood been nominated on his own
personal character and qualifications for the
Office, aside from any political considerations,
we should have felt like advising the Repub-
licans to make no nomination, but to allow
him to receive practically unanimous sup
port. But the managers of the Democratic
party saw fit to couple his nomination with
the enunciation of platform which, in many
respects, is totally repugnant to our ideas of
right and JUSTICE and which seems to have
been made purposely offensive to liberal
minded men of all parties. As the represen-
tative of this platform, as the standard bearer
of these principles, Judge Sharswood makes
the race. OF course, under these circum-
stances, no consistent Republican can vote for
him. To do so would be to give public in
dorsement to principles which are dangerous
to the republic and an opprobrium to justice.
But one course was left open to the Republi-
cans, and that was to make a party nomina-
| ton. They have done so, and in the nomina-
tiOn of Judge Williams have placed before the
| people a candidate who, while possessing in
an eminent degree the qualifications for an
exalted juridical position, is also the represen-
tative of liberal and progressive principles. In
voting for Judge Williams no man will be
obliged to give seeming endorsement to a
| platform at war with the first and plainest
| principles of justice.
And, considered specially with reference to
seat on the Supreme Bench, Judge Williams
has some superior qualifications He is in
the prime of life, and in the full and vigorous
| possession of all his powers. He has had
sufficient experience to be familiar with the
duties of the BENCH and yet has not been
Judge so long as to fall into perfunctory
routine of official action.
Judge Sharswood, on the other hand it
seems to us, is liable to the very objections
so ably set forth in Chief Justice Wood
wards letter of declination, published some
time since. Those objections commended
themselves to the judgment of all thinking
men. And if, on account of them, Justice
| Woodward felt that he would not be
suitable candidate, much less suitable must
Judge Sharswood be. The term of office is
long one, and the man who enters upon
it at an already advanced age must, in the
course of nature, drop off before his term
expires, or become, by reason of years and
infrmities, practically untitled for the proper
performance of his important and arduous
duties. We need man in the very prime
of life, who can endure severe study and
labor, and who will bring to his duties the
full vigor of his powers. These are practi-
cal considerations which must commend
themselves to thoughtful men of all parties.
| They carry all the more weight since they
have been so ably and authoritatively set
| forth by the Chief Justice whose term of Office
| is about to expire.
Judge Sharswood's only hope of election lies
in securing, on personal grounds, quite large
number of Republican votes. His party is in
minority of several thousand in the State.
Under these circumstances, it was very un-
| gracious policy to put him upon platform
which is an insult to every true Republican,
and which forced partisan contest upon the
| people. We can only ascribe it to the bitter
and implacable spirit of the managers of the
party, who seem determined to make it carry
the odium of as much political falsehood and
folly as they can conveniently cram into its
platforms. Whatever the motive, it has
pretty efectually destroyed Judge Sharswood's
chances of an election. He is more likely, on
that platform, to lose the votes of many
beral-minded men of his own party, than he
is to attract support from the Republicans.
Political Movements and their Causes.
PoMTIoAL movements are not produced with
| out cause. There is motive behind the
doings of prominent men. They act with
reference to certain ends. We may, therefore,
be sure that when President Johnson deter
mined to nullify, as far as possible, the Recon-
structiOn law, and to do so under the fiimsy
pretext of Attorney General Stanbery's
"opinion," there was a powerful impellng
motive of some sort for his action. He is not
so blind as to fail to see the inconsistent atti-
tude in which he places himself with his
elaborate and repeated Interpretation of this
law on record in his veto messages-an inter
probation diametrieally opposed to his present
| ..o,;t;o,, ord OrOnOaad aot;ow. 4