The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1894-12-18
A GREAT TRIBUNAL.
THE SUPREME COURT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
IL is the Court of Last Resort In the
United Statcs-its Robin.
Room -OpeninSa
Session.
TYNE United States Supreme


OF the court and of its members.
though they are restraining influences.
Ihe great Importance OF decision by
inns, the court OF last resort, makes it
imperative that the greatest care be
exercised in determining verdict.
30 though urgent matters are ad
vanced on the docket Mt every term.
there is no haste about transacting the
routine business. Everything takes
its turn.
The position of Associate Justice of
the Supreme Court is no sinecure it
cannot even be classed as can easy
Job. " The Justices give full value for
the $40, 900 year which each Of them
receives. Their time on the bench
averaging about four and hnlf
hours day during the TERMS not
the only time devoted to their duties
Every Saturday they gather in the
consultation room i'll the basement of
The Capitol. This room was once the
Office of the clerk of the circuit:
the supreme Court chamber was at
that time the chamber Of the United
States Senate To these consulta
tlons of the Justices no one is nd
mltted-not even tho clerk of the
court. Here the cases which have been
argued during the week are discussed.
Here the Judgment of the court is de-
termined and the task of writing nm
opinion Is assigned to one or more
justices in each case. | saw one or
more, because the Justices are uneni-
nous IN their determination of mat
ter, and IN case of division the
views OF the court are prepared bv
one OF the Justices and the views of
the dissenting Justices are prepared
by another. These opinions are
written out at their homes by The
Justices to whom they are assigned
and then they are brought to the con
suItation room and read to the full
bench. If they are approved they are
land before the court on Monday.
which is decision day.
The assembling of the Supreme
Court is matter of much form and
ceremony. The hour of assembling
is noon. The court meets at 'the
place provided by law" so that ii
Congress after adjournment OF the
court decided to move its quarters 1T
would have simply to conform TO the
new law without special action by the
court itself. The "place provided by
law this year is as usual the Supreme
Court chamber i'll the Capitol at
Washington. The Justices gather at
about half past eleven o'clock n. H., in
the robing room. This is "A small room
adjoining the clerks Office, which is
directly across the hall from the Su-
preme Court chamber. The clerks
Office was once the Office of the Sec
Rotary of the Senate. In the robing
room hangs II portrait of Chief JUS
tlce Jay, attired in n robe with scarlet
iaclnSs. Such gaudy equipment has
not been seen in the court room with
IN the memory of this generation Mt
lcast
Around the walls of therobing room
hang the black silk gowns of the Jus.
tees and number of second hand
gowns. A Justice pays as much for
his robe of Office as he would pay for Il
handsome suit of clothing. There is
fixed price for the gown, and a price
which does not vary with the huctua.
lions i'll the duties on silk. One wo-
man has made all the Justices Gowns
Tor forty years, and her invnriablc
price for one is 800. Like the tailors
who make speciality of outfits for
officers of the army and navy sbs
KNOWS Just what are the requirements
OIL aJustlce's gown, and all that her
customer has to be concerned about is
the fit. The gown must set well across
the shoulders, and it should reach
from the neck to the heels. but Il
should not drag on the floor. saw
hoor, because except on Inauguration
day the Justice does not wear his Gown
out of doors. When he attends nm Of
iicial dinner or reception at the White
House he wears the garb of everyday
life.
The Justice wears his robe only
when the Supreme Court rs BODY is
participating SON official ceremony.
lie may go gowned to funeral if If is
an official funeral. He wears it at the
Inauguration of President. But or.
dinarily ne puts it ON in the robing
room in the morning and takes it of
in the robin9 Dom at dusk. He does
not wear it even in the consulting
room. SO there is very little wenr
and tear on it, and one robe outwcurs
several suits of clothing.
According to the technical descrip-
ton of it, the Justices robe is made |
OF large straight widths of silk. 1t
three and quarter yurds wide Mt the
bottom 1t has n narrow hem around
the bottom and broad hem down the .
front. 1t IS guugod ut the top TO %
yoke, which is short ON the shoulders /.
and forms n deep scallop at the back. /
The flowing sleeves arc yard and a .
quarter wide, and reach TO the wrist. /.
Having donued their robes with the .
old Of the old attcudonts-an they .
are old enough to bc conspicuous even .
IN this city OF long services -thc JUS .
tees, at u few minutes before noon. .
cross the hall to the nntc.room Of the .
conrt. The transit OF the Justices is
"a matter OF daily interest and wonder
TO the visitors ut the Capitol Il is
the signal for 70 raid very subdued. .
di9niiicd raid -on the door of the /
court room, where u colored man sits.
solemnly manipulating tho swinging .
door with cord. Only 30 many PEG. I
pic are admitted to the court room,