McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-01-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, D. c., Jan. Is, 's5.

w ~ Sst ~ al. 10. Oh.
1t may not be generally known or be-
lieved that Chief Justice Waite will new
er again preside over the deliberations
OF the Supreme Court, but | have it from
undoubted authority that the Chief JUS
tice is afflicted with softening of the
brain, and you know what that means.
The fact that the Judges of this court
are overworked cannot be gain ayed, for
they work nearly all the time and are
still at least three years behind in the
preparations of the opinions in cases that
involve not only vast financial interests
but grave constitutional questions. The
Chief Justice is anxious to get to work
again, but his associates know too well
what is the matter, and they have in
formed him that as they can carry every
thing that is now pending without diff
Guilty, he had best remain at home and
rest up. Mr. Waite is not much above
sixty, and Judge fancy was thirty years
his senior when he retired from the
bench. Judge Nelson was seventy-sev-
en-, and Judge Cranch nearly that when
they retired, but these eminent Judges
retained their mental faculties to the
last moment. Though Judge fancy had
really attained his second childhood he
had the sagacity to conceal it while on
the bench, and it was only when Con-
gress made provision for judicial senili-
ty, that he became conscious that he was
getting beyond the days of usefulness.
The Chief Justice of our Supreme
Court gets ten thousand five hundred dol
lars per year, while the Associate JUS
uices receive ten thousand dollars. The
five hundred dollars addition is not be-
cause of the additional dignit- that at
taches to the position, but because the
Chief Justice really does more work
than any Of his brethren. For instance,
all the motions that are made on motion
day (Monday) have to be considered and
determined upon by the Chief Justice
alone, besides which he is expected to
bear his full share of the other work of
the court.
In the matter of the writing and de-
livery Of the opinions of the court there
is as much variance in the manner of
these nine Judges as one could possibly
While Stanley Mathews and
Haglan are verbose, and exhaust both
the sAls and the patience of the court in
the reading Of their opinions, Gray,
Blatchford, Bradley and Miller arrive
directly at that point and strike the mar
row of the issues involved without cir
cumlocution or other judicial travail.
Justice Gray particularly, must be cit
ed as an exception to the rule of those
Judges who read their opinions from
manuscript, because, although his opin-
ions are written, they are delivered off
hand, in an easy conversational style |
that gently lets down the litigants on
both sides. Justice Field cannot be said |
to be much of jurist, although he ac-
luired something of a reputation as a
railroad lawyer. In fact first-class law
yer will not go on the bench, when his
own practice is worth anywhere from
Two to five times the salary paid to a
Supreme Court Judge. At the time
that MIR. Conkling was offered the Chief
Justiceship by President Grant, he per-
refused and told the President
hat he had at that moment case in
which the retainer was larger than the
salary of the Judge for whole year.
DON PEDRO.