The daily gazette., 1881-03-22
NATIONAL LIZING THE BENCH

President Garfield has a splendid op-
portunity to put an end to national
scandal-we mean the existence OF a
partisan Bench. Since the election of
Mr.. Lincoln in 1861 no democrat has
been appointed TO the Supreme Court.
Three Of Mr.. Llncoln's appointments ex
perienced a change of heart. After they
assumed the ermine they became demo-
Gratis. In each case the sense OF quicken
ing came from political ambition--the
desire for the Presidency. We refer to
Mr.. Chase, Mr. Field aud Mr.. Davis.
These three gentlemen represented in
their appointment republican discipline
and republican policy. Mr. Field was
concession on the part of the admins
tration to the awakening Importance of
our Pacific coast. Mr.. Chase was sent
on the bench as much as anything else to
be put out of the race for the Presidency.
SO violent aud so 1nexact was his ambi-
tion that his opinions threw him more
and more into political complications.
Mr.. Davis was appointed as a personal
acknowledgment by Mr.. Lincoln OF his
personal services in handling the Chicago
Conventional feat which fingers in the
political traditions of the West as one OF
the finest specimens of convention leger-
demain ever known.
With these three eXeeptions-and We
cannot call them especially crediLsbie-
the democrats have been without repre-.
sentation on the Supreme Bench, So fa1
as she appointments of the last twenty
years are concerned. We can understand
that at the close Of the war the desire of
the administration TO consolidate The
achievements III the war and no. to have
them imperilled by adverse decisions leu
to the appointment OF none but repub-
licans. These dangers have passed aWay;
there Is no question arising out OF .he
war or menacing The integrity of the
Union thai eau be affected BY Sdpreme
Court decisions. Now, the idea Of the
Supreme Court was that every section Of
the U mon should have representative,
knowing The wants OF the people and
| seeing that justice was done without
regard 10 States OF Territories. As the
Bench stands at present the South is
practically DISTINGUISHED. The demo-
cratic party has no preventative, unless
We count Judge Fisld,an Ills democracy
does moi proceed beyond the ambition To
Oe President. Judge Clifford has passed, i,
unfortunately, out Of the condition Of
usefulness. The Two Southern Judges
Judge Harlan aud Judge Wood-ln no
| respect represent the South. TLev are
both capable men, we believe, and there
Is no objection TO their holding position
ON the bench so far as character and
| requirements are concerned. Our objsc
tion is that, although accredited to tha
South, they are not Souihers. Judge
Woods has been an OHIO man since lie
emigrated to the Southerners. lie has
never gwen up bis home in Ohio. AS a
| Southern man lie is a fraud.
General garfield was limited in his
opportunity by the fact that Judge Har-
Ian and Judge Woods are on tho bench.
There are many cases ia which ha eau
strengthen The Bench by minor appoint
ments. We do Let think that iuugasbiDs
Deioug TO the spo.ls OF Office. = lie Pfesi-
| dent who ayoHs that he will take no man
for the Bench who does not pross-ss
superior legal requirement aud that if he
can find better democrat than a repub.
lcan he will prefer the democrat, WIN
achieve great refofm.-N. \. Herald