Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06
The Justices, Robes


Qulrements OF Justices gown, and all that
ner customer has to be concerned about Is
the mt. The gown must set well across the
shouiders and 1t should reach from the neck
70 the heels; but 1t should not drag on the
noor. say floor, because, except on in
auguration day, the justice does not wear
his gown out of doors. When he attends an
official dinner or reception at the White
House he wears the garb of everyday life:
even when he calls on the President on the
opening day Of the courts session, he goes
In the clothes he would wear at the break
fast table. If You visited one of the justices
at his home of an evening you would find
pleasant, rather off-hand man, in a frock
coat. with none Of the solemnity of manner
that cloaks the Justices when they are on
the bench. The Supreme Court justices are
by 40 means unapproachable. They are
in fact considered very jolly after-dinner
companions and they are in great demand
In social Washington.
The justice wears his robe only when the
Supreme Court, a body. is participating
in some official ceremony. He may go
gowned to funeral, IL 1t Is an official
funeral He wears 1t at the Inauguration of
President; but ordinarily he puts it on in
the robing room in the morning and takes II
on In the robing room at dusk. He does not
wear 1t even in the consulting room: so
there Is very little wear and tear on 1t and
one robe will outlast several suits Of cloth
ing.
According to the technical description of
IT. the justices robe is made Of large
a
quarter yards wide at the bottom. 1t has
narrow hem around the bottom and a
broad hem down the front. 1t Is gagged at
the top to a yoke, which is short on the
shoulders and forms a deep scallop at the
beck. The flowing sleeves are a yard and a
quarter wide and reach to the wrist. A JUS
tice usually accepts his first gown without
Question: but as he grows a little older on
the bench ne is as fussy about the fit of the
garment as a young woman with her first
ball dress. Having donned their robes, with
the aid of the old attendants-and they are
old enough to be conspicuous even In this
city of long service-the justices. at a few
minutes before noon. cross the hall to the
ante-room of the court. The transit Of the
justices Is matter Of daily interest and
wonder to the visitors at the Capitol. 1t Is
the signal for a raid-a very subdued. digni-
fled radon the door of the court room,
where doorkeeper sits, solemnly manipu-
lating the swinging door with a cord. Only
so many people are admitted to the court
room, and the number Is small. There are
but few rows of benches outside the in
closure reserved for the members of the
bar. No crowding of the court room is per-
mitted
Opening the Court.
At noon. led by the chief justice. the JUS
tees file into the court room, behind the
long row of pillars which support the mar
row galiery-a gallery. by the way. which is
never used now. There is theatrical touch
to the entrance. The black-robed figures
glide mysteriousy behind the pillars, and
then. as though at a prompter's signal, APP
pear at the spaces between the pillars and
move to their places These places are fixed,
and II you know the order which is invari-
ably followed in assigning them you can
answer without hesitation any question as
to the chronological order Of the associate
justices. The chief justice, of course. sits in
the middle. On the right of the chief justice
sits the justice longest in service. That JUS
tice now is MIR. Field, who was appointed
by President Lincoln in 1863. On the left
of the chief justice sits Justice Harlan, who
stands next to Mr. Field in point Of service.
Then comes Mr.. Gray, on the right zone seat
removed from the chief JUSTICE; then Mr..
Brewer on the lett; Mr.. Brown, on the
right; Mr.. Shiras, on the left: Mr.. Jackson,
on the right, and Mr.. White. on the left.
The last seat on the left-hand of the chief
justice Is always occupied by the youngest
of the justices-the latest appointee. The
shifting of seats which occurs when an cid
justice dies makes considerable confusion in
the court for O. time.
When the justices enter the court crier
raps three times and says in a sing-Song tone:
"Oyez. oyez, oyez! All persons having BUSH
ness before the honorable the Supreme
Court of the United States are admonished
to draw near and give attention, the
court Is about to assemble. God bless the
United States and this honorable court?'
When the gavel first falls, all those with
in the bar of the court rise and remain
standing until the justices. at a signal from
the chief justice. take their seats. AS they
sit down they bow to the Attorney General
and the members of the bar.
Usually the first businessman, in fact,
almost the only business Of the first day Of
the TERMS the swearing In of lawyers who
have practiCed in the supreme courts OF the
states or who. by the fulnllment of some
other condition. are eligible to admission
They are sworn in in patches of half dozen.
They gather about the clerks desk. and as
many as can do so conveniently lay their
r irh hands hne
been in use more than half a century, and
the clerk reads to them the form of OATH
This ceremony concluded, the court ad-
journs, and the justices march out as
solemnly as they marched in and proceed
to the robng room, where they remove
their garments of silk and satin.
Calling ON the President.
1t Is customary for the justices of the Su-
preme Court. If the President and the Vice
President are in the city the day when
the term opens to call on them formally.
This call is made in ordinary street dress; |
but each justice is accompanied by his
body servant. who sits on the box Of the |
and the solemn order of prece- |
dence is observed. This order must be noted |
by the Vice President and regarded by him |
when he returns the call of the justices. |
The President, of course, does not return |
theft call. He is exempt from all calling. |
This order of precedence is observed by the |
JuStlCeS III IlldhlHS the lOTIlldl calls tnelr
own circle. AS for calling on other people, |
that is done after the other people have
called on them. The wives of Senators are
disposed sometimes to dispute the prece-
dcnce Of justices wives on the ground |
that the justices are confirmed by the Sem
ate and are, therefore, of less importance:
but the Supreme Court circle still maintains
it's social supremacy 1t is an exclusive circle
too, though not in a snobbish sense The
members of the court and their people are |
congenial. and they associate much In their |
homes.
Although 1t Is the ambition Of every
young lawyer to practice before the Su-
preme Court, that practice does not afford |
the opportunities which are to be found In |
courts of original jurisdiction. The "argu-
ment' made to the Supreme Court is hardly |
more than a statement of fact and a quota
ton Of precedents. When Mr.. Cleveland |
appeared before the Supreme Court a few
years ago he read his argument from
manuscript. The only other ex-President |
who has appeared in the Supreme Court |
re ON is John Quincy Adams, and he ar
gued one case. There is usually q dry for
fnality about the hearing Of a case which |
n axes the sessions of the court very monot-
onous to those who are not directly inter- |
ested In the matter on trial. Sometimes
however the session is enlivened; as when |
Justice Shiras Interrupted the attorney who