Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1870-11-30
Supreme Court Appointment.

The Supreme Court Judges, not satisfied
with the commission of one blunder, in the
re appointment of j. Ross Snowden as Pro
thonotary of the Eastern District, have COM
mtted another similar one in the re-appoInS-
ment of Thomas j. Keenan, as Prothonota-
ryof the Western District-both Democrats
dyed in the wool, and the former, at least,
charged with greater crime than his De
mocracy-that of having countenanced the
Issuing of false naturalization papers from
his Office, if he did not do it directly himself.
We have already expressed our sentiments
in regard to the former appointment very
freely, oondemning without reservation the
conduct of the Republican Judges who dis
regarded their plain duty and betrayed the
party that elected them by voting for Snow
den. We entertain the same sentiment ex-
pressed then in regard to their more recent
action in the appointment of keenan,. There
is no excuse for them. Nothing they can
allege can palliate, much less wipe out their
offense. The Pittsburg Gazette in reference
to the appointment of Keenan, says:
politics out of the administration OF our
Courts of Justice, the Supreme Court Of
our State has appointed Thomas j. Keenan,
Prothonotary for the Western District ot
Pennsylvania Mr.. Keenan, is not only
Democrat, but party Democrat. He is
Chairman of the Democratic Committee,
and used his best endeavors to defeat Re
publican nominee for Judge of the Supreme
| Court. He is recognized as strict party
man, and utterly and entirely opposed to
Repubicanism in all its features. When a
Republican Judge was nominated for the
| Supreme Court, there was a Democratic
nomination for the same Office. Republi-
| cans rallied around their nominee and elect
ed him. The office is so far a political one,
that the Judges have l.been party nomi-
nees, and only entitled to their seats because
they had party majority. When the office
was sought, no Republican ever dreamed of
seeking Mr.. Keenan's vote on the ground
that polite. should be kept from out the
Supreme Court, but the votes os Republi-
cans were expected, because the candidate
was Republican nominee.
What miserable farce then it is, when
able men, good soldiers and sound Republi-
cans, are applicants for an appointment in
the gift of the Supreme Court, that Re
publican Judge, elected by Republican votes,
should vote for Democrat, ignoring the
applicants of the others, for no other reason
than that they were Republicans For what
other reason was there? S. p. Fulton, j.
G. NJ 'Connell and Gen. VIM. Blakely. are
either of them the equal of Mr.. Keenan, il
point of intelligence and fitness, independent
of the fact that they belonged to the Repub-
lican party. IF it would have been making
a party question out of an appointment OF
the Supreme Court for a Republican Judge
to vote for a Republican applicant, why was
ocratic Judge to Vote For Keenan,, d. Demo
crat? 1t is all nonsense, and the return to
these old soldiers is unkind and ungrateful
for either one of them might have been ap
pointed without the slightest improperly, ,as
Far AS bringing politics into the Supreme
Court was concerned, just as well as keenan,.
They deserved it more, and they had right
to lock for it. That they, or one of them,
did not get the appointment is due, we can
ddly think, to nothing more nor less than
ingratitude, and mayhap the lack of moral
courage"