Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-08-13
JUDGE CHURCH.


journals, with surprising celebrity and
enthusiasm. But as the Sun has com
pressed its information within limits
that bear some relation to our availa-
Bile space, we quote the Suns article
entire;
For a journal pretending to a National charao-
ter, and taking an active part in politics, to
gravey PROFOUND such questions as these has
created no little surprise. Not to know who San
ford X. Church Is argues ones self unknown. As
the choice Of the Democratic party Of the great
State Of New York, his name has been presented
for the office Of President Of the United States.
As lawyer he ranked among the very ablest at
q distinguished bar. As chief Judge of the New
York Court Of Appeals be has achieved lasting
fame Some of his opinions are among the most
profound ever delivered in tho high court over
which he presides with singular urbanity and
dignity. There Is no mau in the country more
ct to 30 nominated for President than Sanford Il.
Church.
And II nominated he would be elected.
The editor Of the Post then con-
tinues
"The extent of the surprise created
by our question, and the dense ignor
ance which it implied, seems to have
been disproportioned to the intelli-
gence elected. 1t is quite possible that
the very question we asked has not
yet been answered. We did not seek
to know who Judge Church was, or
where he lived, or what his official rank
was. The directory would have told
us that, and one of New York's gor-
geous legislative manuals for the cur
rent year would have been choke-full
of information on the subject-it we
had needed it. What we throbbed to
know was, why Sanford Il. Church,
Chief Justice of the New York Court
of Appeals, stood like Saul, so many
heads and shoulders above his Demo.
cratic brethren as possible Presiden-
tial candidate Every three or four
years when Presidential possibilities
have been canvassed, an interested
world has been asked to wait few
minutes until somebody could run up
to Albany and dig up one Sanford L.
Church, who was known by select
few to be buried there. If he could
only be induced to run, the party could
at once dispense with doubts and fears
with doubt and love as well-as no
other favorite could stand for q mo.
ment in the presence OF Sanford II.
Church. 1t occurred TO us, therefore,
to ask, no more for our own than for
the information of thousands of other
Democrats who want to see the best
man nominated, what Judge Church
had done that rendered him so availa-
BILE. The reply is, he is an accomp-
lished scholar an able lawyer, and a
great man. We take il that every ac-
complished scholar and able lawyer is
a great man, but it docs not follow that
the happy possessor of these qualifica-
tions is always an available candidate
for the Presidency. That Judge Church
presides with singular urbanity shows
that he is also a good man but that
can be said of many judges. Mr.. Ev-
arts is said to be great lawyer, but
VIC do not consider him any more fit for
the Presidency than the Fraud he
helped create and now serves. Caleb
Cushing was the most accomplished
scholar in the United States, and had
no superior as lawyer. But few
thought him fit for the Presidency.
Still, Sanford E. Church may be- all of
these, as well as all that these Others
were not. He may be, as we have Of.
ten heard him apostrophized, "the best
and ablest Democrat in the great State
of New York !" be may be, beside, the
most popular man who could be nam.
ed in connection with the contest Of
1880; and yet great many people
will be foolish enough to inquire how
he has become 80. What has he ever
done for his party2 Not many years
ago, we remember, he was beseeched
by Democrats inside and outside Of
the State to lead the Democratic ticket
as candidate for Governor, and al.
though 1t was declared that no other
man could heal the dissensions then
threatening not only the success, but
the very life of the party, he declined.
He was too poor, we believe, to even
much as save his State to the Democ-
racy and the Union.
If he is great lawyer, q whole
souled patriot, an accomplished scholar,
and can carry New York at any time
against anybody, there never was
greater need of him than now. He
should be nominated for Governor OF
once. We are sure we hope he is oil
that is claimed for him. We do not
object to him because he is unduly ad.
mired. 1t was no spirit of hostility to
his candidacy that inspired our ques-
tions or has led to these observations.
We are only seeking important in.
formation. If the Judge is nominated
for President by the National Demo.
cratic Convention we shall most Ger.
tainly support him. 1t is not impos.
sible that we may urge him as our fa-
vorite for nomination. Before we
do either the one or the other, how
ever, we want to clearly understand
what right he has to seek the prize at
all. What has he done for his party
in the years that are gomez"
A PRooREssIvE MAN.-John Nc
Kay, Brooklyn shoemaker, aged %,
was arraigned in the Court of that city
last week for bigamy, and before the
case closed no less than three ,cives
turned up, claiming him as their claw
fully welded husband" He has been