The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-03-28
BLACK ROBED JUSTICES.
THE MAKEUP OF THE HIGHEST
TRIBUNAL IN THE LAND.

No Place for Flowers of Rhetoric or
Passionate EIoquence That Might
Sway Juries.
The room of the Supreme Court may
easily be overlooked by the tourist who
tarries in Washington but day, although
it is within the walls of the Capitol
The stranger passing from the tumult of
the House to the careless ease and quiet
of the Senate, through the central corri-
dor of the building, will encounter a
guard sitting by plain and unobtrusiye
door in the north end of the old freestone
structure to which the great marble
wings were added. Around this door
there is no waiting crowd of politicians
or sight-seers. Through it comes no
sound of debate or applause. Those who
enter will not be impressed by the elo-
quence of the lawyer who is addressing
the black-robed Justices sitting in
row before him. This is no
place for the flowers of rhetoric or the
passionate appeals by which juries are
swayed. Plain and concise statements
of fact, with brief references to the laws
and the precedents. are all that the JUS
tices require, and rarely does a lawyers
voice rise above a subdued conversa-
tional tone. There are few seats for
spectators, but the number is sufficient.
The proceedings are not interesting to
those who have no business to transact
with the court, and strangers who look
in soon go out in search of more attract
i've scenes. Still upon the thoughtful
visitor the simple gravity of this great
court makes an enduring impression.
The room is the old Senate Chamber.
which resounded with the elOquence of
Webster and Clay when the Capitol had
not not attained its present magnificent
proportions. In those days the members
of the House of Representatives sat in
the larger room at the other end of the
original building, which is now the Hall
of Statues The old Senate Chember is
in the form of a semicircle. The JUS
tices come in at noon from their robing
apartment, and their seats are in a line
on raised platform behind long desk,
and just in front of the row of variega-
ted marble columns which support n
small and unused gallery. In the Cen
tral chair sits the Chief-Justice. BY the
small desk at the end of the platform
may be found the marshal and the
clerk, whose offices are on the other side
of the corridor.
The confirmation of Justice Lamar
filed the vacancy caused by the death of
Justice Woods, and all the chairs are
now occupied. Chief Justice Waite,
who has served thirteen years, has passed
the age of threescore aud ten, but his
vigor of body and mind indicates that
years of work lie before him. In the
first twelve years of the courts history
there were four Chief Justices, and in
the following eighty-seven years there
have been four During the long term,
that of Chief Justice Marshall, the court
became firmly established in authority
and rank. To his memorable decisions
and powerful influence both the court
and the nation are deeply indebted.
Chief Justice fancy presided over the
court for twenty-eight years; the term Of
Chief Justice Chase was comparatively
short. The court of to-day is remarkable
group of men. 1t is noticeable for the
rare physical vigor of several of its mem
bers. In their early years their minds
were not developed at the expense of
their bodies, but hard and healthy work
for both muscle and brain equipped
them grandly for the tasks that they were
to do. Justice Miller, the author of no.
table decisions upon Constitutional ques-
tious, passed his boyhood on farm. He
was thirty years old when he began the
study of law. AT that time he was a
doctor in country practice. Although he
had been practising law but thirteen
or fourteen years when appointed
to the Supreme Court, he had
already become leading lawyer of
the West. Justice Field, whose age is
that of Justice Miller, seventy-one years,
shares with him the distinction of hav
ing been appointed by President Lin
coin. This eminent member of famous
life while shaping the judicial system of
California, in disorderly state of
society, preserved his vigor. The Oldest
of the nine is Justice Bradley, who was
born in 1913. Justice Harlan is in the
prime of life, at the age of fifty-four
and is grand specimen of manhood.
Justice Matthews is siXty-three. The
giant of the bench is Justice Horace
Gray, who was called to this court from
the Office of Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of Massachusetts, over which he
had presided for eight years, after hav-
ing served in it for nine years as an
associate Justice Gray is fifty nine
years old, and with Justice Blatchford
was appointed by President Arthur.
He furnishes in himself the amplest
proof that the learned professions do not
of necessity make puny and ailing men.
Justice Blatchford will be sixty.eight in
March. He came to this court with the
experience acquired by long service as a
compiler of law reports, and as Judge
of the district and circuit courts
Justice Lamar is sixty-two years old,
and he was admitted to the bar in ls45
-Htrper's WefHH