The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-09-25
PACKING THE SUPREME COURT.

Among the shallow humbugs, in his "pov,
erty of better material" Gas the Nation calls
it, logged into his academy Of music speech
by Mr. Conkling, last Saturday evening was
that about the Manning bill" TO increase the
number of the supreme judges, whereby, ac-
cordng to Conklng, the south were to get
control of the supreme court and would then
nulhfy the constitutional amendments, &c,
The Manning bill, II Is only necessary to say,
was the ou,hgrowth of numerous earnest pc
ttions sent to congress from all parts of the
country begging for some measure to relieve
the court of Its present enormous pressure OF
business through which the court is already
five wears in arrcar and the case daily growing
worse The natural remedy that presented
itself, and which, in the petitions referred to,
the best legal talent in the country had sug.
gested, was TO increase the number of judges
and cast large proportion of the present
work OF the supreme court upon the circuit
courts, and 1t was to accomplish this simple
purpose that the bill of Mr. Manning, a mem
Der of the judiciary committee, was framed.
TO suppose that should the bill become law
and half u dozen or more judges thereby be
added to the supreme court, President Han
cock would appoint only southern rebels or
rebel sympathsers such judges,-in short,
would be mean enough to pack the court
against the constitutional amendments, which
he declares must be nviolate,' and in favor
of paying rebel CLAIMS" &c, &c, is to sup
pose him capable of degree of meanness OF
which certainly no one has yet dared to &C
cuse him, and with which of all men, Conk-
ling himself should blush to charge him. for
it is a piece of rascality Of which, in the whole
political history of the country, Conkling him.
self IN connection with Gen. Grant and cor
rupt republican congress, alone has ever been
guilty. The case occurred when the supreme
court Of the United States, in Hepburn VS.. Gri&-
coM, IN 1869, decided against 3-that
greenbacks were not legal tenders for the
payment of debts incurred before they were
issued. 1t happened just at that time that the
Pennsylvania Central railroad had $12000,0OO
of bonds to pay that had been issued before the
greenback legal tender act was passed. and the
New Jersey Central had $24,00O,0C0 of bonds
IN the same condition. TO be able to pay
these bonds in greenbacks would be worth
millions to these huge corporations, but the
decision of the court would compel them to
pay in gold. They had the audacity to ap-
peal to Grant and Conkling tor help to get
the decision of the supreme court reversed and
they found in them willing tools! AT the
time there were but seven judges upon the
bench, and Conkl,ng got bill through the
senate and house to increase the number by
two judges The president appointed as such
Judges Joseph p. Bradley, attorney of and
stock holder in the New Jersey road, and Will
liam Strong, heavy stakeholder in the Penn
sylvanIa road and with the help OF these
judges the legal tender case was re-opened,
against the rules of the court, reheard, and the
former decision reversed! A more corrupt
and dastardly transaction never occurred IN
the judicial history of the country, and when
ever, in public meeting Conkllng has cheek
enough TO hint at such 4 thing as corruptly
packing the supreme court Of the United
States for purpose, he ought to be rotten
egged and stoned!