Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-17
Justice Matthews.

There is a very wide diversity of opin-
ion among both Democrats and Repub-
licans in regard to the propriety of the
confirmation of Stanley Matthews as
Justice of the Supreme Court. Leading
Republican journals denounce the APP
pointment of Mr. Matthews as one unfit
to be made, while several Democratic
papers are equally strong in their protes-
tations against his confirmation by the
vote of Democratic Senators. The Will
mington ECery Egening Oemocrat) says
MIR Matthews is not great constitu-
tional lawyer. He is politician, who,
regarded from any conceivable stand
point, is man of uncertain actions and
ill-defned convictions. He has unques-
tionably done acts and uttered words
extremely Objectionable to Republican
stalwarts On the other hand, he en-
gineered the Louisiana fraud. and enter
ed into relations with the perjured James
E. Anderson which would have justified
his Indictment on a charge of crimi-
nal conspiracy. He has also, and
quite recently, made a wildly stalwart
thinker, governed more by emotion than
reason in his judgments and is constltu-
tionally incapable of being a good judge
even were he a far greater lawyer than
any one claims he is. He is the counsel
for several great corporations with view
to political influence in their be-
half, and he has intimate relations
with Jay Gould, who has pressed
his appointment and contirma-
ton. Every lawyer of ability
and reputation in the Senate opposed his
confirmation, and many Republican Sen
ators voted against him, yet enough
Southern Democrats joined Hoar of
Massachusetts, Plumb of Kansas, and
Jones of Nevada, and other small fry,
to overcome the opposition of the ablest
Republicans, led by Edmunds. and the
ablest Democrats, led by Bayard, to the
nomination, and to secure its confirma-
ton by majority of one.
The Washington Post says that all the
Southern Senators who voted Except
Mr.. Cockrell, of Missouri voted to con
firm Mr.. Matthews nomination. Mr..
Lamar made strong speech in Mr..
Matthews behalf. His argument was
that Matthews was very accomplished
and scholarly, and that when he was
Senator he regarded him as a man of
great ability; that he believed he had
judicial mind; and would pass upon
questions coming before him with judi
cal fairness, and, from what he knew of
him, he believed he would also be honest
in deciding political cases. The Post
adds:
"His friends gave Southern Senators
in particular to understand that Mathews
would be fair in all matters pertaining
to politics coming before him. In
fact, the vote which was afterwards
taken showed that Matthews confrma-
ton was largely due to Southern votes.
1t is also known that Mathews secured
the influence of Mr.. Blaine, and owes
his success largely to Mr. Blaine's efforts.
Sherman and Hoar voted for him. The
Southern Senators voted solidly for him.
The truth is, more Democrats voted for
him than did Republicans.
The Post further says;
''It will not be disputed that Matthews
is an able lawyer, nor said that he is not
intellectually the peer of either of his
associates.
'There is certain independence
about Judge Matthews which will, we
think, find many opportunities, in the
high Office to which he has been con
firmed, of potential exercise. He does
not hate the South as Conkling does
who was once offered the Chief Justice
ship-nor is he likely to lend himself to
the judicial establishment of rank party
legislation. Not long ago, we remem-
Der with some satisfaction, he was
Democrat, and we have the faith to be.
lieve that he still adheres to a Demo
cratic regard for personal and State
rights.
OF the Southern Senators, Lamar and
George of Mississippi, Brown and Hill
of Georgia, Coke and Maxey of Texas,
Call and Jones of Florida, Butler and
Hampton of South Carolina, Morgan and
Pugh of Alabama, Jackson of Tennes-
see, and Ransom of North Carolina,
voted for the confirmation of Mr.
Matthews With such an Endorsement
by Southern Senators, who are in pc
sition to judge of his fitness for the po
sition, the Southern people can at least
give him fair trial. 1t is to be hoped
that the confidence of his Southern sup
porters may not be disappointed.