Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-01-25

today sent TO Ine SENATE Ine nOlHIfd-
ton Of Wheeler ii. Peckham. of New
York, to be associate justice Of the
supreme court of the United States.
the place for which Hornblower was
rejected. ~.
The receipt of the nomination sent
Senator Hill hurrying about the floor
of the senate in lively style He was
quickly in consultation with the mem
bers of the judiciary committee, who
will he called upon to pass upon the
nomination before it is reported 10
the senate.
Senators generally thought when the
nomination became known that Judge
Peckham, of the court of appeals Of
New York, was named, but Senator
Hill explained that such was not tile
case, but the present nominee is his
brother
Indications are strong that the NOM
ination will be opposed upon the same
grounds that that of Judge Hornblower
was Peckham is independent in pol
itics and is said to have bolted the
nomination of Senator Hill for gov
ernor both in 1850 and 1889. New York
senators were consulted by the presi
dent in making the selection
Senator Hill suggested last week the
aCnina ton of Judge Peckham, the
present nominees brother, for the
place. And now the senator will have
TO approve the nominees confirmation
or take up arms against the brother of
the man whom he recommended.
The nomination is described by Tam
manyites here rs ten times worse from
their point of view than that Of Horn
blower.
If Hill objects to Nominee Peckham
it will be, first, because he not only
signed the report, but presented it to
the Legislature and was very promi-
nent in prosecuting Maynard on the
charges set forth in the report; second,
Peckham is an ardent anti-Snapper;
third, in Il recent interview on the
turning down of Hornblower Peck
ham denounced Hill in the most viru-
lent manner, and said; "Such things
were to be expected when reptile
like Hill wallowed in the dirty politics
Of the day"
In nominating Peckham President
Cleveland has thrown down the gage
of battle direct to Senator Hill.
Whether the senator will fight cannot
at present be determined. 1t is
thought that he will. 1t is too early to
predict what the senate will do if Hill
determines to fight the confirmation of
Peckham, but as Peckham. in his in
terview, also Savagely critcises the sen
ate for rejecting Hornblower it will not
surprise any one to see enough sena-
tors rally around Hill to reject the new
nominee by n larger majority than
that which killed the nomina ton of
HOrnblower.
The nomination of Mr.. Peckham will
scarcely be more acceptable to Sena-
tor Hill than was that of. Mr.. Horn
blower, for if there is a man allied
with the Independent democratic party
of New York who has persistently OPP
posed Hills operations that man is
Wheeler III. Peckham. Hill has him
self admitted that of all the reformers
of democratic politics in New York
Mr. Peckham has been the most in
dustrious and relentless. Since 1888
Mr.. Peckham has been indefatigabiG
In making nGr on Hill 1t was he who
stood sponsor for the anti-snapper
element of the party. Scarcely an
act of Hills, while he was governor,
escaped the caustic censure Of Peck
hams voice anG pen.
Since Hill went into the senate Mr.
hoc hfpY
and vigorous critic. He opposed the
nomination of Maynard last year and
was much more active than Mr.. Horn
blower in opposing his election. 1t
was Mr.. Peckham, in fact, who drafted
the scathing resolutions adopted by
the bar association denouncing as an
outrage upon decent politicians, aud
he pCrS0ally made speeches during the
campaign scoring both Hill and May
nard. No other member of the legal
profession in New York was so elated
over the overthrow Of the Hill ma
chine as Mr.. Peckham. If Hills OPP
position to Hcrnblower was inspired
by the latter'S opposition to Maynard.
he will certainly make redoubled eff
forts to defeat the confirmation of Mr..
Peckham, because the nominee is the
most vigorous of all Maynard's oppon-
ents.
Another score upon which Senator
Hill can justify his opinion to Peck
ham is that the nominee is personally
Jffensive for Mr.. Peckham, i'll hand
ling the senior senator from New
York, has not always confined his re
marks to the senator's official acts
His enmity to Hill has been of the
most partisan character. He neither
admires Hill as an official nor as {
man. And Mr.. Hill has manifested hi:
cordial dislike for Mr.. Peckham a
every opportunity. 1t would not be
possible for the president to selec
a man who would be more distastefu
to Hill than Mr.. Peckham. The pos
sibility of the president having an!
other motive in sending Mr. Peckham'E
name than to return blow for thu
slap administered by Hill last weel
is dispelled by the very character o
Mr. Peckham and his relations to Hill
Peckham is man of varied talent
and as a politician is ranked anon:
the very shrewdest. He has been
warm personal friend of Presiden
Cleveland for fifteen years and en-
Joys his confidence. He was an int
mate friend of the late Samuel j. Til
a1-J,, 11yofil