The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-07-25
Tbe Vaca,,t CHIEF Jwsticeship.

The Office itself IS Jne hSneSG anu
most dignified in the gift of the Chief
Executive of the government, and is
the most important and responsible
position, in some respects at least, tha'
can be conferred on any citizen Iop-
ular opinion may sweep away an III
cumbent of the Presidential offlce' Out
the seat of the Chief Justice IS PeIii.a-
nentlv fixed, and is not dependant lor I
Tho duration of its tenure on the ca
,,rio, "a. VARYING fortunes Of political
80 Chief Justice Marshall dis /
rEarced the high functions of his eX-
aIted station during the administra- /
tfons of sir Presidents, while Roger /.
b. Tanev, his successor, who was ap- /
pointed by General Jackson in 1886,
and died in 1864, occupied the seat of
Chief Justice during all but small
portion of the time filed by ten sue
cCssivc incumbents of the Presidential
chair,
For the reason, therefore, that so few
of our former Presidents were called
upon to exercise the power of appoint
ing a Chief Justice, it is not at all sim
gular that the country feels a deep So
licitude as to who will be the success
sor of the late Chief Justice Chase
If Grant was competent to make wise
and judiciOus selection, the people
would repOse generous confidence in
his Judgment. But having already
packed the Court by the appointment
of Strong and Bradley as two of its
Associate Justices, for the express pur
pose of overruling the decision on the
legal tender question, he is not likely
to step outside of the narrow circle of
his thick and thin supporters in search
of a man who can wOrthily FIJI the
place which was once adorned by a
Marshall, fancy, and Chase.
Anticipating Grants action on so
grave and important a question, it is
safe to say that the appointment will
be given to some person purely as
political reward, or on grounds of per-
sonal favoritism. The latter reason is
the one that has governed him in con-
spicuOus appointments heretofore, and,
it is fair to infer, will do so in the pre-
sent instance.
AS It seems to be we'll understood
at Washington that he will not appoint
any of the present members of the
Court to fill the vacancy, it has been
suggested that a safe mode of securing
competent Chief Justice would be for
Grant to refer the selection to the eight
Associate Judges themselves. This
plan has much to recommend it, and
would pretty surely result in choice
that would be satisfactory to the conn
try. But it is an arrangement to which
a man of Grants mental calibre will
never consent. The very suggestion
itself grows out of a want of confidence
in Grants capacity to make wise Sc
lection, and for that reason he would
not surrender the prerOgative of his
office
If the declaration of Senator Car
penter is to be relied on, the place will
| be first offered to Roscoe Conkling, a
radical Senator from New York, who,
! in accordance with an understanding
/ between himself and Grant, will decline
/ it, and the coveted honor is then to be
conferred on Timothy O. Howe, of
! Wisconsin, who is Carpenters radical
! colleague in the Senate. OF course
| Howe will only be too eager to accept.
! He possesses a contracted mind, is a
thorough-br partisan, and has Sc
! cured the warm friendship of Grant
as the willing defender of every usurp-
alton of power which he has attempt
1 ed. Even the disgraceful and corrupt
/ San Domingo job found III Howe a
submissive supporter, when honest,
high-minded Senators repudiated it
with shame and disgust. No man IA
miiiar with Howe's antecedents and
his career in the Senate believes for a
moment that he possesses any qualifi-
cations for the office That, however,
is a trifling consideration with Grant,
and the mantle of Chief Justice Chase
I may yet fail or, tho nnyvorthy shoulders
/ of Timothy o. Howe, who is not fit,
were the former still living, to unloose
/ the latchets of his shoes. 1t is a
thought well calculated to produce a
! feeling of national humiliation.