The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-07-23
The Supreme Court.

w EepuDllSu Dy req ueSJ TIC IOIlOW-
ing editorial which appeared in the
Springfield Record and was copied
into the American July 10th.
The American is correct when it
takes the position that no railroad law
yer should be put on the supreme
bench. We, like the American, want
no man there who is any way connect
ed with a corporation of any description
that will have litigation. Not that we
doubt the honesty of any of the legal
profession employed by big corpora
tions. but if a man has been fighting
for one side of question for several
years it is a hard matter for him to look
at it from any other standpoint. And
really that is but human nature after
all. On the other hand we would not
like to see a man made supreme judge
who had done no other practice than
that of fighting corporations. Conser-
vatism is the true road to pursue when
you go out TO find the harbof Of right:
1t appears from this editorial
that the American, one of the
leading democratic papers of the
state, has taken the position ''that
no railroad lawyers should be put
Ou bhC 81 D4G OGuChs L Ills Is
the first instance in which the press
of Tennessee of any party has ever
attempted to ostracise any member
of the legal profession simply be-
cause he gained the confidence, and
in the discharge of his professional
duty plead the suits of any person
or corporation before the courts of
the country. The reason assigned
by the Record, and we suppose it
is the same given by the American,
is, eff man has been fighting for
one side of a question, it is a hard
matter for him to look at it from
any other standpoint" Upon the
same principle, if a lawyer has been
engaged in lucrative criminal
practice and for many years defend
ing men indicted for murder or other
crimes, he must not be trusted with
any judicial position for che has
been fighting for one side for sever
al years." and sit is hard matter
for him to look att from any other
standpoint Would it be safe to
elevate him to the executive of
fice2 With his unlimited power of
pardon except in cases Of i'm
parchment would there not be
great danger of his abuse of
that power? And yet our present
executive who for many years had
the reputation of being one of the
ablest criminal lawyers of the state,
has for three years filed the execu-
tive Office without any complaint
that he had abused the executive
clemency.
The Record says, eve, like the
American, want no man there (on
the supreme bench) who is any way
connected with a corporation of any
description that will have litiga-
ton" So that if a lawyer should
be a director or own stock in a bank
or in a manufacturing establish
ment, or railroad or engage in any
enterprise to develop the wealth,
and add to the resources of his
state, hesmust bid an adieu to all
hopes and expectations of judicial
honors. John Marshall of William
son county was a railroad lawyer.
VIII any one say he would not have
adorned the supreme bench of Ten
nessee?' Hon. A. O. P. Nicholson,
E. n. Ewing and Francis B. Fogg
were the lawyers for the Nashville
IL Chattanooga railroad in the i'm
portant case Of Nichol and others
against the mayor and aldermen of
Nashville, and will any one say that
either of these distinguished jurists
were unworthy of the supreme
bench? There are many others
who are among the ablest lawyers
and purest and best men in the
state, who have been and are to-day
railroad lawyers, and yet they are to
be deemed unworthy of any posi-
ton in the supreme court. 1t is a
reflection not only upon the
honor and integrity of the railroad
lawyers, but upon every distinguish
ed iurist in the state, and when the
time comes for the good people of
the state to elect the judges who
are to fill that high and honorable
position, they will not permit any
press, whatever may be its power
and influence, to dictate to them
the men who are to sit in judgment
upon their lives and property in the
highest court in Tennessee. The
supreme court, n court from whose
decisions there is no appeal, should
not only be composed Of the ablest
and best lawyers in the state, but
men who are beyond and above the
influence Of any spirit of the dema-
COG, or faction or party.