The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-02-03
Ohio Again, and This Time a Brother.
in.Law.

Ii is not necessary for q Democratic
newspaper TO add anything to what the
New York Times says concerning the
nomination of Mr.. Stanley F. Matthews
as Justice of the Supreme Court; espe.
cially rs the other Sta!wart newspapers
excepting the New York Tri6uhc) write
in 4 similar strain:
"[t occurs to the mind st once that
Mr.. Matthews is an Ohio man, the
brother.in-law ard intimate, personal
and political friend OF the President /;
that he was one of the counsel before the
Electoral Commission. and Jealous
promoter Of the operations by which the
difficulties in Louisiana that met the
Administration after the electoral vote
of that State had been secured were
adjusted. but it will strike no one that
lie is peculiarly fitted for high judicial
position.
"In political life he has been cratic
and impulsive, guided by almost any
consideration but profound regard for
tho highest interests of the public.
During his short career in the Senate he
distinguished himself by advocating
some Of the mos. vicious measures pro-
posed at d critical time in our financial
experience.
"Bcfore the standard silver dollar had
been restored to our currency, to intro
duced confusion into the working
of resumption, he offered and sup
ported a resolution declaring it to be
the right of the Government to pay its
debt in the deprecated coin, his pur Sc
being to provide use for it and promote
its restoration. He argued that silver
had not deprecated, because, as he
said, it would buy more in 1877 than
in 1870, basing the claim on the fall
of general prices that had attended the
appreciation of legal tender notes.
When an effort was made to bring him
to the real basis of comparison by a ref
erencc to what had occurred abroad, he
scornfully asked What have We to do
with abroad p This revealed the range OF
his reasoning in dealing with the operation
of general principles. He was the
champion of the corporations against the
Thurman bill, and as lawyer he has
been conspicuous in his defence of cor
porate interests.
These incidents in the history of Mr.
Matthews are mentioned as illustrating
his lack of the judicial character. He
may have been honest and conscientious
i'll what he has done, but he has neither
been judicial nor judicious.
''If the character of our highest tribu-
nal has declined, it is due to the kind oi
men who have been appointed to its
bench and the causes that have induced
the appointment. No other sanctity
but the qualifications of the Judges can
hold it in that esteem and reverence
which it is desirable that it should have
from all parties and classes of citizens
Every new appointment should raise
and strengthen it in the estimation oI
the people, and no consideration should
determine the appointment except the
eminent fitness OF the man Tor the place
That this is the consideration that
induced President Hayes to appoint Mr
Matthews no one will be bold enough tc
pretend. Political and personal ground:
are the only ones upon which the action
is to be explained. But it is highly
characteristic. The President is theo
retically in favor Of selecting the bes
and ittest men for office, but he lacks
the frmness and resolution to put theory
in practice, as he has been proving fol
fouryears. If the appointment OF Mr.
Matthews is confirmed, we can only
hope that his judicial career will redounc
to;his honor and that of the country
We can have no assurance of it from
what is known of his qualifications"
President Hayes behaves as if the frs
duty of a President were to provide fol
his friends and dependents, and be j:
making the best Of his opportunities
Having in mind his generosity in dis
tributing public Offices and his persona
peuuriousncss, the public will begin tt
suspect that desire to save the cost O.
wines and other liquors had rs much a.
anything else to do with the economical
temperance barring Roman punch
enforced at the White House dinners.