Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-23
THE BAR AND THE BENCH.

The Association Wants n District LAWYER
TO Succeed Judge James.
The Bar Association of the District, as an
nounced IN The STAR, held a meeting yester.
DAY afternoon In its rooms at the city hall for
the purpose OF declaring its position as regards
appointments to the bench of the Supreme
Court OF the District. particularly in respect to
the appointment of Judge James successor
In the absence of President Hamilton Mr..
Caideron Carlisle, the vice president Of the
association. presided, Mr. Blair Lee acting as
secretary The special call for the meeting
having been read, Mr.. A s. worthington pre-
sented the following resolutions and briefly
advocated their adoption:
Resolved. That this association requests the
President to fill the vacancy on the bench of
the supreme Court of the District of Columbia
caused BIZ the resignation of Mr.. Justice James
by the appointment Of a member of the bar of
this court now engaged in active practice
therein and familiar with the law of the District
and the practice of the courts thereof.
Resolved, That a committee OF seven mem
bers OF this association be appointed to present
to the President these resolutions.
Mr.. L. II. Poole, however. introduced another
set Of resolutions which asserted that ex-Rep-
resertative Louis Z. McComas who had been
recently appointed to be n Justice of the Su-
pTeme Court OF the District was not qualified
for the position. and suggested the appointment
OF a ccInmit;ee to oppose his confirmation by
the Senate.
Mr.. PoOle's resolutions found no champions,
ard upon Mr.. Northington raising the point
that under the speciaf call for the meeting they
we're not IN order, the resolutions presented by
3ir. Poole were ruled out.
Mr.. PERRYs RESOLUTIONS
Mr.. X. Ross Perry then rose to oppose the
adoption of Mr.. Worthington's resolutions and
briefly addressed the meeting. He said that if
the association were to take action at all he
thoUght its action should be such as would truly
declai Its position General principles should
be announced He thought that the proposed
action was Inadequate to the situation. and
therefore not proper to be taken by the associa-
ton representing the bur of the District. He
urged that the association should assert the
following general principles, without reference
to any articular instance of departure from
these principles. bat that appointments
TO judicial Office should be governed solely
by the question of fitness for such Office on the
part of the appointee, and said Office should
not be bestowed rewards for political
service; second, that in the opinion of the as
ISOLATION a political career was from its nature
ill-calculated TO develop those qualities which
are indispensable to the judicial character. Mr..
Perry thereupon embodied his ideas In two res
olutions. which declared to be out of
order under the special call.
TIE FINAL ACTION.
The resolutions offered by Mt. Perry raised
an animated discussion, Messrs. Mills Dean, A
5. Worthington, II. S. Davis, ". G. johnson
and A. 4. Lipscomb participating. Messrs
Dean and Davis thought that political motives
should not be imputed to the President, and
Nr. JOHNSON considered il unwise for the asso-
citation to place Itself in the attitude Of CRITICS.
ing the Pre- ident.
The solutions offered by Mr.. Worthington were
finally unanimously adopted. The committee
authorized viii be appointed by the president
of The ass ociatiOn.