Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1882-03-11
THE NOMINATION. TO THE SUPREME
BENCH.

(From the New York Tribune, Republican,
Gulteau has made supreme judge,
80 we'll as president; and he is mot
hung yet.
There is not human being in the
country SO ignorant as to believe that
Roscoe Conkling would have been
awarded the highest Judicial Office In
the gilt ofthe president, ita cold. blood
ed assassin had not first murdered thel
president whom the people elected
For that horrible murder no man living
Is thought by the people iof the United
States more responsible than Mr.. Conk.
ling himself. The president gave HIM
five.sixths of the important patronage
of this state. He demanded 1t all. On
tho nomination OF asingle man whom
he disliked he declared war upon the
administration, fought il in the senate
till he found the struggle hopeless, then
betrayed bis party and threw the senate
into the hands OF the opposition by res
signing. and then besought the state oi
New York to return him With letters. Of
rnarque as o licensed privateer. to wage
war upon his own people. Meantime,
on the day after his resignation. his dis
ciple, Guiteau, bought q pistol; aud The
very physician who was afterward called
in to probe the presidents wound went
about lying that Garfield deserved to be
shot. .. e,as
Mr.. Conkling was beaten IN his own,
state in the contest he invited-over-
whelmingly. hopelsssly, disgracelully
beaten. "A legislature Of his own crea-
lures dared not re elect him. The peo-
pie OF the state were as o hundred to
one against him. When he returned.
Ideisatetl. from Albany. he could not
have been elected road supervisor or
justice OF the peace in the strongest
republican county in the state. Then
Guiteau stole MP behind Garfield and
fired his shot, and now the man whom
Guiteau made president lna:ses Roscoe
Conkling U judge of the supreme court
of the United States. These are the
simple, historical facts. know n to every.
body. urdisputed by anybody. We re-
call them now merely 10 set this up
pointment in the light OF attendan,
facts. Is
II the nomination were otherwise I'll
one. something would be partlonedi "a
the persOnal friendship and personal
gratitude OF the late vice president. But
the nomination IS, on other grounds,
notoriously unit.
| First Mr.. Conkling has no standing
at tho bar to entitle him to- be even
thought OF in connection with the So
preme bench. He has had no consider
able practice since his youth. He ha.
been retained IN no cases save thOst
hich came in the way Of pay for pO.
litical influence. The appearances h
has made in conrt have been such as u
provoke the contempt and ridicule o
real lawyers. On this point, spite ofth'
high position and great influence h
had. there has scarcely been divided
opinion. No doubt he might have bee,
good Lawyer. But he chose to devot'
his active years to something else. an,
: he Is now too old to learn.
, Second-Mr. Conkling is unfit for Ih
supreme bench, or for any bench be
cause be is not man OF judicial temper
Everybody. friend and toe alike. know
him as an intense, red.hot partisan. WIN
J never sees or can see more than on
side OF question. There was absolute
taccuracy in Mr.. Curtis description O
him rs person who divided mankin
into two classes, slaves and enemies
I Such man may do good in som
. places. but he is no more fit TOR judg
than he is Tor bank note eDgraver or
. Sunday school superintendent.
Third-This nomination is grossl
, unfit, because It is fragrant abuse @
} the appointing power to use the suprem
, bench to pension broken-down politi
cian. who has made himself to the las
degree odious to the people. Ii he mus
be provided tor at the public expense, j