Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-16

enlisted. This may be mental infirmity
or vice, but whichever it may be it is suf-
ficient to disqualify him from sitting up
on the bench, where subjects of such vast
Importance are liable to come before him
for adjudication.
Mr. Matthews career as politician IL
Illustrates his character and his
unfitness for the position to
to which he has just been confirmed.
He was chosen by Mr.. Hayes at the be-
ginning of the electoral troubles of 1876
as his special representative in Louisiana.
Whether or not he was cognizant of the
frauds that were being perpetrated at
that time makes no difference. The fact
is known and admitted that he enlisted
himself body and soul, in the effort to
cook up majority for Hayes in that
State. He was lavish in his promises of
political preferment to those who stood
by his party, and, as his letters to James
Anderson show, spoke as one having au-
thorlty. The outcome proved that he had
no such authority, but that he acted upon
his own responsibility, and was altogether
more sanguine of his ability to perform
his promises than circumstances seem to
have justified. He only succeeded in
making himself the laughing stock OF
the whole people, and i'll casting suspi-
cion upon the honesty of his own mo-
tives. He assumed the airs of dispen-
ser of public patronage, but when the
time came for him to redeem his pledges,
he was placed in the ridiculous position
of one who had bargained to deliver
certain goods, but could not find them
when the day of settlement came.
AS Senator, Mr.. Matthews distin-
guished himself principally as an oppo-
nent of the Thurman bill designed to
compel the payment to the United States
by the Pacific railroad companies of the
interest on the bonds issued in their aid
He had been an attorney Of the compan-
les before the supreme court on the same
side of the question, and endeavored by
every means in his power as Senator, lob
byist and advocate, to defeat the bill.
He was unsuccessful, and as a result the
government is nearly two million dollars
in pocket, that being the amount the
railroad companies have been obliged to
pay into the treasury. These corpora
tions held-and Stanley Matthews also
held-that the government, having issued
bonds in aid of the construction of the
Pacific railroads, was compelled to pay
both principal and interest, and had no
recourse upon the companies for any part
of the obligations. The doctrine IS sim
ply that of highway robbery. Will Mr..
Matthews, when he takes his seat on the
bench, take the same ground and declare
the Thurman law unconstitutional? His
partisan character leads to the fear that
he will take such position. 1t would be
interesting in this connection to know
| how much influence the Pacific railroad
corporation had in confirming the NOM
nation of Mr.. Matthews.
When the nomination of Mr.. Matthews
was sent to the Senate by Mr.. Hayes, the
ULOBE ucuOuuCGu IL DIS OuC uullt 10 DG
made and calculated to lower the dignity
and charac er of the supreme court.
When President Garfield re-nominated
him, the GLOBE repeated the comment.
Though he has been now confirmed by
narrow majority of one, the GLOBE sees
no reason for reversing it's judgment. II
will not impugn his personal honesty, al
though good grounds for doing so can be
found in his public career. There is
sufficient basis for the opinion in the fact
that his prejudices are too strong for i'm
partial judicial determination of any
question in which he may have no
more than sentimental interest, and it
is greatly to be feared that when grave
qustions come before the court in which
he has been engaged as an attorney, he
will be swayed in his opinion by the in
terests of his former clients. President
Garfield committed serious mistake in
naming so unfit man for so high an Of
fee; the Senate has been guilty of greater
unwisdom in annrovinp the se1ection