The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-02-02

y
that capacity or has reached the age Of
three score years and ten that he may be
retired upon an annuity, and the same Law
applies to army and navy officers who have
grown old and gray in the service of theii
country, and We are not of those who
might be disposed to say nay to so emf
nently just and grateful a lava law which
is but recognition of the duty the country
owes to those of her sons who have devoted
their time, their talents, and their lives tC
her service But the creation of a ciyi
list, such as is headed by Mr.. Justic,
| Ward Hunt and that General Grant
Is longing to swell, is un entirely different
matter Judge Hunt is neither seventy
years of age, nor has he served as n federal
supreme judge for ten years, and why
| should he be the recipient of special iavors.
IL is true that he is incapacitatcd from
serving longer as supreme judge, but is
that any reason why congress, whose sworn
and bounden duty it is to guard the in
terests OF the people and to protect their
money from useless expenditure, should
aid and abet this mercenary Judge in his
mendicancy, and by retiring, enable him,
like leach, to fastcn on the public treasury
and draw yearly stipend of $4,000 for do
ing nothing? Why should such precedent
be forced upon the people? But one sou.
ton to this precipitate move on the part of
the republican mujertles in the two houses
OF congress suggests itself to our mind
and that is that they desire
to retain republican majority
on the supreme bench The retirement of
Judge Hunt enables President Arthur to
appoint an active stalwart on the bench,
and the precedent of retirement having
been established, the aristocratic civil list
having been created, it will be next in order
to retire Judge Field, a democrat, that his
place may be filed by another active stall
wart republican. 1t is lamentable fact
that the United States supreme court has
been pothing for years but political ma
chine to grind out opinions to back up the
republican party in It's violations of the
constitution, encroachments upon the
rights of the states and infringcmcnts of
the liberties of the people. Only n politi.
cal court could have decided that paper
money was legal tender and only political
court could have sanctioned the stealing OF
the presidency. The creation of civil list
is the establishment OF a linc
of arstocrats, and any such
action is In antagonism with the
genus of our form Of government. There
can be no privileged class in a republic
where all the citizens stand upon common
level legally, and the creation of this civil
list, the retirement of Judge Hunt, Is but
another step on the part OF the republicans
towards Capitalization, monarchy, indeed.
Where is the precedent to stop \ federal
judge holds his Office for life on good be.
havior-in other words lao cannot lie re-.
moved from office save for cause by i'm.
parchment, but by this new tangled ar
rangcment ofthc republican majority, this
subversiou of the spirit OF the constitu.
ton to party ends, judge who may be too
honest to prostitute his exalted position Ia
political ends may be retired and plant
and ready tool appointed in his stead
Hcdgcd about with such bulwarks ofproicc.
ton aud assistance rs the courts ol
the land and over 10000 oilicc.holders
with all the patronage and influence of the
presidential Office and of the vari
Gus departments OF the govern.
mcnt, how Is the republican
party ever to be held amcnablc to the PEG
pie Tor any inlQuity OF which 1t may he
guilty. Senator Logan, of illinois, |,
striving, with all his rugged cloqucncc
unceasing loqusoity and muscular effort
generally, TO have his lricnd-his Fidu.
Achaics, General Grant, placed upon the
inactive army list a, salary Of $1,000 pei
annum, We believe It is We cannot, Iol
the life of Us, see any good reason for any
such notion on the part of congress. To Il,
80 would certainly be no additional evi
dencc Of the couutry's grateful apprccia
ton Of the services rendered by Genera
Grant. Not only has he been commander
in.chicf OF the American army In time
of war aud Ia time of peace, but ,wic,
has he been president Of the re
public, the limi, made legal by Gus.
tom and common consent of the country
and he has been given an ovation
from one extreme end of the land to IN,
other, aud to-day, no citizen Of the country
fills more completely the hearts Of major
i,y Of the people or is more honorcd ant
respected by the entire people than he Is
Why, then, We ask, In the name Of our form
Of government, In the name Of Our ffre In
sti,utions. IN the name Of the liberties Of ih'
people. should General Grant be taken NJ
from civil lie to be placed upon the retired
army lis, 10 become s,ipcndiary Of th'
government lie is no, in want. bus on
the contrary may well be classci as a mill
! ienairc. II is time 10 nip all movements