New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-26
.JrSTJCE L4MARS SUCCESSOR

The vacancy on the bench OF the supreme
Court occasioned by the death of Justice Lamar
will he filed either by President HARRISON De-
fore the expiration of his term or by President
elect Cleveland after his accession to Office. IL
is unnecessary for anybody TO assume 'h"' !"
either case an unfit appointment VIII DC h'auc
No President of the United states mas ever YET
hroueht scandal upon our highest court or dis
eraced his own great Office by MS use VI inc
amounting power in filing the supreme court
bench. Appointments have been severely CRU
;ciscd in some instances, and the motives Oh
tho President in making them have sometimes
boon called in question but the selections made
have almost invariably turned ont TO be wise.
American citizens may reflect with honest ana
pa,riotic pride upon the fact that no Judlciai
h;bunal in the world sustains n higher char
acter for ability and integrity than the supreme
Court CT the United States, and the country
eypects this high standard to be maintained
President lIarriSCns appointments mus lar are
a sufficient assurance on this point so FAR as ne
s concerned. and we have no wish to assume
that Mr.. Cleveland would permit unworthy con-
sidorations TO influence him i'll the appointment.
And we are quite willing to leave 1t to PreSi-
dent IIarrison's Judgment of his own RESPONSE
bility and duty and of official propriety whether
bo will himself send to the Senate a nomina-
ton for Justice Lamars successor or leave the
vacancy to be filed by Mr.. Cleveland. lie
has no lack of advice from the newspapers on
the subject An animated discussion Is III
progress in the press over the question OF
official propriety. and we observe that some
of Mr.. Clevelands most ardent supporters CON
tend with much earncstness. supporting their
contention by citations from history That II
would be manifcStly improper If not altogether
indecent. for President Harrison 10 make an
appontment CT snch importance within SIX
weeks Of the expiration of his own term of
office The zeal of our able contemporaries
secms T, MS uncaed for and misplaced. Their
solcitule appears - be chiefly due to political
and partisan considerations. They assume that
President Harrison would appoint Republican.
while Mr. Cleveland would rs matter OF
course select one Of his own party Tor the
Mace They may be correct in this aN>lmp-
ton but whether SO or not II does not Strike
us rs valid argument. For IN any proper
vio,v of the Office it is and Of right ought to
he non.pol,ica and non partisan. \ great
deal of campaign nonsense. that hardly floats
~ the level of saloon politics. is in circulation
about the prepondcrance of one party or the
other on the Supreme bench The emptiness
and irrelevancy Of it will appear when one
stops 10 consider that hardly once in genera
ton does question come before the supreme
Court in which party politics Is even remotely
involved.
We hope we give no offence to any OF o'lr
able contemporaries engaged in pointing out
the line of proprcty as we'll as OF response
bility and duty for President Harrison to fol-
low when we say that for its own part THE
TRIBUNE would be quite content to leave the
whole question TO the President himself, as
perfectly competent to settle it in the most
satisfactory way. II is not at all likely that al
the close of his term, after having discharged
the dutes of the Presidential office with such
dignity. ability and integrity Is have brought
him the respect and confidence OF all parties
he would do anything unworthy of his record
or that would leopard his high standing in the
esteem Of his countrymen. And we may add
without intending any reflection upon the in
fallibility of our own profession, that we would
a. soon have President Harrison or Mr.. Clere
land select Justice Lamar's successor as, FOL
example, to leave the choice to tho Editor Of
"The New-Yorli Evening Post"