The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-06
Justice Field, Q Democrat, Was Appointed by
the Martyred President. So that HarrisOns
Action Was Not Without Precedent
Few Offices Left at Washington for
Common Democratic Ward.WorkerS.
Cleveland Not Likely to Secure the Repeal Of
the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. Ac-
cording TO Representative Wilson.
CLARKsoN's CRITICISM.

An Important Fact Overlooked by the Iowan
I'm His Attack the President.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 5.-The criticism upon
the appointment by President Harrison OF
Judge jackson to succeed the late Asso-
ciste Justice Lamar on the Supreme Bench,
made by Mr.. j. S. Clarkson and published
this morning. was the subject Of consider.
able discussion among politicians to-day.
The fact that Mr.. Clsrkson had requested
Senator Cullom to protest against the con-
firmatIon OF Judge Jackson's nomination
added interest to the affair. Senator Cul-
lom was seen this afternoon by q reporter
and asked what action. if any. he
had determined to take. lie said that
he had been so busy with other mat
ters that he had been unable to
consider the subject, and had nothing to
say as to his intentions with regard to his
course on the nomination. He said that
MI. Clarkson's message to him. which he
received yesterday. he considered to be
personal in It's nature. and he did not ex-
pect to make public either il or his reply
thereto. which had not yet been sent 10
is not considered probable by many Sena-
tors that Judge Jackson's nomin alton will
be rejected. notwithstanding tnat there
has arisen considerable opposition to him
among the Democratic members of the
body. They say Judge jackson is not sat
isfactory to them as q party man, and
Senator Harris is quoted as having referred
to him as no more of Democrat than men
on the other side of the chamber"
One of the Presidents friends said this
afternoon that Mr.. Clarkson's statement
that no o ther President had ever before ap-
pointed member of the Supreme Bench
from the ranks of the other political party
is not well founded In fact. He said the
President had the precedent of the first
Republican President for his nomination of
Judge jackson; that in 1853 Presldent Lin
coin nominated stephen j. Field. q Demo.
crat, to place on the bench. which Mr..
Field still retains. He said that the Presi-
dent. before making the nomination, was
assured that the confirmation of q Repub-
lican was extremely improbable, and that
being the case he chose to promote Demo-
crat who had demonstrated by his de-
cisions upon the bench that he was q
protectlonist and nationalist. with q
big M There had been, he said, moro
convictions for violations of the federal
elections lswsin nd ge ackso court than
In any other court In the country. AS q
matter of politics, he continued, in the clr-
cumstances of the case. Judge Jacksons
appointments was q most excellent one Ii
he were now rejected by the Senate Mr.
Cleveland, of necessity almost, would De
compelled to send his name to the Senate
again, thus preventing the possibility OF
the nomination OF a man who might be
possessed of the undesirable qualifications
mentioned by Mr.. Clarkson in his letter
crltiosing President Harrison's action.
In this connection Senator Dolph desires
to have 1t stated that the report that he
was an applicant for the place on the Su-
preme Bench made vacant by the death Of
Justice Lamar is false. On the contrary.
he had volunteered to say to the Presidents
that, in his opinion, the appointee should
be taken from Justice Lamar's circuit.
The Post tomorrow will say: Senator
Culom was shown the dispatch sent By
Hon. }. IS. Clarkson to Repre-
acterizing the nomination of Judge
Jackson to the Supreme Bench as
betrayal of Republican principles
and an abandonment of the helpless Re-
publicans of the South and stating that q
protest had been sent to the Senator" The
Post then quotes, Senator CuIlom as fol-
lows THE protest. sent me by MIR.
Clarkson consists of a telegram some
general lines as the message to
Representative Houk, but is hardly
SO strong in language. He makes
no personal charges against Mr.. jack
incapacity or dishonor. or anything of the
kind. HIS objection is that the nominee Is
q Democrat. and was closely identified
with the late Confederacy. have
not seen Mr.. Houk, nor do
/ know what action will be taken.
President Harrison is man who runs his
own business. and has q habit of standing
by what he says and does. He may have
named Mr.. jackson in the belief that he
could not secure the confirmation of q
Republican, or he may have been very
strongly influenced. or he may have had
motives OF which no one outside of himself
not been TO see him. For myself / am
frank TO say that consider the jackson
appointments very unwise. and, in
cancy should have been given to
some clean. able Republican lawyer,
of whom there are plenty. Judge Leon A.
Pardee is sample of the class. If the
Democrats of the Senate had refused
to permit confirmation, the re-
sponsIbility would have rested on
them. l do not sec why numbers
,of Southern Repu blicans should have been
passed over in favor of Democrat who
favored the rebellion. They have been dis
criminated against. and don't think that
L will ever feel any other way about il. As
to what will be done about it, what action
the Senate will take, cannot say. do not
know whether there will be hight against
Mr.. Jackson's confirmation. i will see the
judiciary committee in the morning and
/ do not think, however that Mr.. Harrison
is @ man who could be induced TO with
draw the nomination by any amount OF
party pressure At present / have not
sufficiently examined the matter TO make o
positive statement concerning IL