Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-05-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, May Il, 1881.
The confirmation of Stanley Mat
thews as Associate Justice OF the Su-
preme Court is simply one more step
in the degradation of that tribunal
which has been in progress several
years. It is an indication that a
sort of moral dry rot has taken hold
of public men in this country, with
out distinction of party, and that
the old-fashioned idea of our highest
judicial body has undergone de-
cided change for the worst.
If there is any one thing in our
Anglo-Saxon Inheritance more pre-
cious than any other, it is that every
man, rich or poor, weak or powerful,
stands on an equal footing in our
courts; and their precincts are sa-
cred; that no corruption can enter
there; that Justice is not sold either
for money or influence. Down to
very recent day, the traditions of
the Supreme Court Of the United
States were the traditions of the
English Judiciary. The men who
sat on its bench were not only great
lawyers, but great and true men.
The names Of Jay, Rutledge, Mar
shall, fancy, Stovey, Curtis, and
Chase make a distinguished roll that
can be surpassed in no country, and
we readily understand why Mr..
Sumner found the great English
Jurists holding our court OF last re-
sort in as high respect az any of
their own.
But few years has changed this,
and the change still goes on. To-
Cay large number Of people among
those who come most in contact
with the court, not only question its
ability but its integrity. 1t is a ter
rible thing for English speaking
people to lose faith in the admins
tration of Justice, for the well being
and safety of our social system hangs
on the belief of the people in the pu-
rity of the bench. 1t is essential
not only that our judges shall be
pure, but that those who go before
them have faith in their purity.
The decision of the court must be
implicitly respected or the ends of
justice fail of accomplishment.
Only a few years ago Justices
Strong and Bradley were appointed.
1t is an open secret that they
were placed on the bench with a
view specially to a decision in favor
of the legal tender act. Great as
may have been the wish to have this
law sustained, it was bad to see the
court packed, even in the interest of
the Government, and against pri-
yate suitors. The old tradions of
the bench were overthrown. In one
case, at least, parties did not stand
on an equal footing before the SUI
preme Court. 1t was the fist step
in the degradation of the Judiciary.
From that day to this the court has
come to be more and more Of re-
proach. 1t has come to be known
that the court seeks the accomplish
ment of other ends than the ends of
Justice. Decisions are made to
compass the objects of those who
have influence with the Judges
Politics have crept in, and the con-
stitution has been distorted to make
it agree with congressional legisla-
ton; money influences have entered
and decisions affecting the money
market have, strangely enough, been
known by favored persons in Wall
Street before they were delivered
All this was bad enough, infinite
ly worse than anything that could
have been expected Of the successors
of Jay and Marshall; but that which
has Just happened is the worst of all.
appointed and confirmed at the die
tation or the overshadowing rail-
road interest. Nothing is looked
upon more jealousy than the grow
ing power of the railroad corpora
tons They have encroached every
where. Their Hobbies are at the
doors of Congress and almost every
State Legislature. They dictate
nominations and control elections.
Against them the people have had
but one protection-the courts-and
now these are grasped in the power
full tolls and the individual cannot
stand before the highest tribunal in
the land with equal footing with the
corporations. Against this consum-
alton fought the ablest men in the
Senate and at the bar. The strong