Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-04-13
From the New York Evening Post.
Save the Honor Of the Supreme Court.

From the foundation of our government, no
Justice of the supreme court of the United
States has ever been elected to an executive
office; none has ever been nominated in a
party convention nor, indeed, until very
recent time, did any ever permit his name TO
be used as that of candidate. This fact has
unquestionably had great effect upon the
popular mind 1t has led the people to regard
every man who has once taken his seat In that
august tribunal as Withdrawn from all the
has thus contributed immensely to that rever-
ence with which the nation at large has al
ways looked upon its judiciary.
But il Is universally felt that a change in
this respect has recently begun. The supreme
court has by some means been brought to the
very verge of the political arena. The pres.
ent ChiefJ Justice was noted candidate for
the Presidency when appointed to the still
higher position which he now holds ; and al
though his best friends hoped and expected
that he would thenceforth devote himself and
his ambition exclusively TO the noble work of
REVEALING the fame Of the greatest of his pre-
decessors in his ability and impariaity as a
judge--a work for which he was fully compe-
tent yet the habits and thoughts for long
career In politics seems to have clung to HIM,
so far, at least, that the people generally have
ever since regarded him as u candidate, for the
Presidency as much as before. Soon after
came the appointment Of two Justices appa-
rently not IOr tucir enllnent quullnCutlOnS, Dut
in the expectation OF obtaining IN important
constitutional judgement, strengthening the
general government. This act, indeed, has
probably done more than any other To ALLEVIATE
intelligent men from the present administra-
tion but II has done much more to diminish
the moral power of the Supreme Court in the
country, and even to lower the standard of the
judicial character In the public mind.
Thus 1t is that this tribunal, whose judg-
ments, before 1t was made n tool Of the Exec
utive-frsi in behalf OF the slave power, and
then In behalf of cenralization-were regard
ed rs the serene utierances of impcrsonal and
abstract Justice, has gradually lost SO much of
its supreme power over public opinion, and SO
mudh of its own dignity. Shall this process
continue until 1t ends in such degeneracy and
contempt as have fallen upon the local and
elective judiciary in some of our states or
citiesf II so, there Is one way to ensure that
it shall go on with increasing rapidity, and
that is to treat the Supreme Bench as u stel.
ping-stOne TO the Presidency; that Is, to fill
the minds of the men whose business II is TO
utter the final decrecs of law and equity with
the notion thai they may attain higher digni-
ties by entering the struggles Of parlizan poll
tics, and by practicng partlzan subserviency.
Two members Of the bench are now sup
ported by political factions as candidates for
the Presidency. We are, however, assured by
men who ought 10 know, that the Chief Jus.
tice takes no part, and even no interest in the
plans of mistaken friends who would again
bring his name into the political arena, and
desires quietly to attend to the duties of his
high Office. II so, we wish, for the sake of his
own fame, that this wise decision NAV be dis.
tlnctly announced In It's own name. But there
seems TO be no doubt that Justice Davis, of H.
linois, who Is in consultation with the friends
who are securing the country In every direc-
ton, seeking support tor his name In the Gin
cinnat Convention; and that as a voluntary
and eager candidate for the Office his position
Is fairly open to criticism.
There Is no difficulty in finding objections
to Justice Davis. His name Is not identified
before the country with any political princi-
Piles Whatever, except In one instance the
| centralizlng decision Of the Supreme Court in
the legal-tender case, In which he deliber-
ately acquiesced, so that he cannot be regarded
| as whit preferable IN General Grant In his
excessive notions Of the power Of the central
government. The platform Of the labor-re.
formers, on which he has been set up as
candidate, and which he has not rejected Is
utterly bad, and no liberal Republican can
tolerate II, even as u compromise. Moreover,
the Judge Is an obscure man, even In his own
State wholly untried In Executive office, and
unknown even to the politicians of the coun-
try. He has never made any notable contri.
button to the success of ihe Republican party
| or OF Its prsnciples, nor has he promoted In
any way the formation and growth of the
| Liberal republican movement IL Is not
known whether or not he Is protectionist ;
bu! he Is an old Wing, and the platform of his
Labor Reform party Is distinctly for "protec-
iion." Assuredly lie has no claim whatever to
represent the Liberal Republicans before the
nation above any one of thousand men from
whom candidate might be selected by lot
| But The one objection. that Judge Davis Is a
member of the highest judicial tribunal OF
the nation, Is conclusive against his appear
ance as y candidate for political office. One
OF the most momentous pieces of work which
the events and the legislation Of the war have
len TO the people OF the Rext generation Is
10 restore to the Supreme Court It's old dignity
aud authority. II Is not at all impossible that
on this work may depend the future safety OF
our institutions; Il Is certain that the upright
administration Of justice for on age TO come
will depend ON H. The first step towards this
great result Is the establishment Of Q public
opinion which will absolutely exclude every
member of the court from the list OF possible
candidates for political ONCE.
The new Japanese gold coins, which are
lust issued from dies struck for them at the
l'hilAdelphia mint are nine-tenths ine, weigh
thIee-tenths Of one per cent less than ournew
geld colns. but arc about the Same In weight
I N DEaa. l. n. a.