New-York tribune., 1874-01-02
4 CANDIDATE FOR VINDICATTON."

4 CANDIDATE FOX PINDICAIION"
Mr.. Wiliams's nomination for Chief-Justice
seems to have entered upon the last stage Of
the discussion, and may now be reckOned
reasonably sure of confirmation. The argu-
ment now is that he must be vindlcated. 10
that appeal the present Senate is never DEAL
1t lives to vindcate. If a candidate for con-
firmation has been charged with burglary
when he has only been guilty of purlOining from
the person, there is but one way for the
Senate to do him justice, and that is to give
him the Office and vindicate him from the
Craver charge. For otherwise the public
would credit the slander, and the thief and
his friends would be greatly scandalized by
the apparent official Endorsement of its truth.
Better have thief in office than do him the
Injustice of accepting as true the charge
against him Of burglary or highway
robbery. SO if a candidate is utterly incOm-
petent for the Office to which he is named, let
any intimatiOn that he is corrupt or dishonest
gain currency. and the Senate says at once ::
"This will not do. He is unfit to be sure,
"but il we reject him 1t will be said that 1t is
because we credit the charges against his
Integrity. We must vindicate him from that
at any rate" And so incOmpetents and men
of more than doubtful reputation are con-
firmed because they have been slandered, and
their friends say there is no remedy or vindi-
cation for them except through the action OF
the Senate in confirming them.
For this cause Mr.. Alexander r. Shepherd
was confirmed as Governor of the District of
Columbia in the face of facts Of the most
damaging character against his administration
NE. A.. .uAw - Co Nnf
Carpenter was reelected President pro tenn. Of
the Senate without single inquiry as to the
truth of the charges against him of conduct
disgraceful to himself and the Senate that
elected him its presiding officer. So 1t has in
two or three instances vndicatcd it's own
members and high officials by halfway white
washing investigations, or by refusing to
investigate at all. But really in this matter
of the selection of the Chief Justice OF the
United States-is it not rather o costly way
to vindicate the character Of an incompetent
man by setting him to preside over the high
est legal tribunal in the cOuntryi MIR. Will
liams may be perfectly honest, but In the
opinion of ninety nine one -huDdredths Of the
members of the bar, and indeed OF all men IN
the country qualified to Judge, he is not Tilted
by nature, education. or training, for the po-
sitiOn. Why, then, should the Senate 60
fumbling over the case, making inquiries as
to his honesty, when there is sufficient arRu-
ment against him, patent 30 the mind Of every
thinking man. in his intellectual inospaCityf
Have we not had enough Of this mush Of
vindicationi The duty of the Senate is plain
enough; it is not sitting as court of equity
to remedy injustice. or as court Of law to try
s!ander cases; it is simply to scrutinize care
fully the appointments submitted for its ap-
provsl, and upon the merits, tho Quslifics-
tions, and fitness of the candidates con-
irm or reject them. There 10 not prob
ably another man In public hfs DO