The Van Buren press., 1877-02-06
The Justices, Personally and Politically


The conference plan for counting the
electoral vote, names four assistant JUS
ticcs Of the supreme court as members Of
the commission to settle disputed cases,
and makes it the duty Of these four to
choose tfth from the other assistant
justices. The chief justice Is excluded
from membership OF the commission.
The first justice named for member.
ship OF the commission, and who is made
its president, is Nathan Clifford, now in
his 74th year. and who has been nineteen
years on the supreme bench. Justice
Clifford Was Democratic member OF the
Maine legislature from 1880 to 1884,
when he was appointed attorney general
OF the State, and held the position four
years From 1880 to le43 he was a Dem
ocratic member OF Congress from Maine.
In 1916. President Polk appointed him
attorney general OF the United State 8
whien Office he held until 1847, when he
was appointed commissioner to Mexico.
On the conclusion of the Mexican war he
Was appointed United States minister to
Mexico. On his return to tie United
States, he settled down to the practice Of
law in Portland, Maine, until January,
1858, when President Buchanan appoint
ed him to the supreme bench. ii"
! Assistant Justice William Stroug, nam.
ed second on the list, is in the 69lh year
OF his age, and has been seven years on
the supreme bench. He became men,
Der OF the Pennsylvania bar in 1889, and
practiced law at Reading, until lS47. In
that year he entered Congress and served
two terms. He became Judge Of the su.
preme court Of Pennsylvania In 1857.
and held the position until 1858, after
which he practised law Ia Philadelphia
until February, 1870, when he was ap.
pointed to tue supreme court OF the Uni
ted States by President Grant In June,
1871. he made decision. declaring the
income tax unconstitutional, and ID Janu-
ary, 1872, delivered the opinion of the
court affirming the constitutionality Of
the legal tender act of 1862 81 ~ '.a
Justice Samuel F. Miller, the third JUS.
tice named for the commission, will be
81 in April, and has been nearly fifteen
years on the supreme bench. He is a ma
tive Of Kentucky, and at first practiced
medicine. but after tew years turned his
attention te law. Having been from IS48
in favor Of emancipation, though gene.
rally taking no part in politics, tue course
of public affairs caused him to remove In
1850 from Kentucky TO Iowa, where he
became one OF the leaders Of the repub,
lican party in that state He was press
cd repeatedly to accept nominations Tor
| n f,fs snn M Il In Nf ta.s -
but refused these, and confined himself
strictly to the practice of his profession.
In July, 1862, President Lincoln appoin
ted him TO the supreme bench @ ss9w
The last of the four justices named for
ther OF Cyrus w. Eitlt, OF ocean teie.
graph fame, and of David Dudley Field.
the attorney Of VIM. M. Tweed, who has
within few days been sent to congress
to fill the place Of Smith Ely Justice
Field is eleven years the Junior OF his
congressional bro her, being now In his
sixty-tirst year He has been nearly four
teen years on the supreme bench. Born
in Connecticut, he removed, when he be-
came of age, to New York city, where he
studied law with his brother, and after
wards made law-partnership with him
In 1849 he removed to California, and at
beginning of the following year was
elected first alcnlde of Marysville. In
October Of that year he was elected 70 the
legislature, and took leading part in
moulding the judiciary Of the state. In
1857 he was elected judge Of the SUI
preme court Of California for six years
and became chief jus}icc of that court.
In March, 1868, he was appointed by
President Lincoln to the United States
supreme court, and has the states Of the
Pacific slope for his circuit Although
appointed by President Lincoln, his po.
litica affiliations are known to be with
the Democrats. Recently lie was report
ed as maintaining with some heat that
Tlden was elected, but the statement is
now authoritatively denied. ft lol eAl
There remain four assistant justices
from whom the selection Of the fifth jus
tiee on the commission must be made by
the four above named. The oldest of
these in age and service on the bench, is
Justice Noah II. Swayne, Of Ohio, now
in his 73d year, and who has been fifteen
years Oh the supreme bench, having been
appo nted in January. 1862, by Presi.
dent Lincoln. The next in term Of ser.
vice is Justice David Davis, of Illinois,
appointed by President Lincoln in De-
cember, 1852, and who was In 1879 and
1876 named as candidate for the Demo.
cratic nomination to the presidency. He
is now nearly 81 years old The third is
Justice Joseph p. Bradley, nearly "a
yeals old, who was appointed from New
Jersey in March, 1870, by President
Grant The last is Justice Ward Hunt,
65 years cd. appointed from New York.
in 1872, by President Grant Ctsceland
Herald lua Ht Io M
In a recent scandal case aIady witness