St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-28
SIT ON The WOOL SACK.
JUSTICES OF THE UNITED ST6TES
SUPREME COURT
HAVE FINAL SAY ON TEE LAWS.

sitions-The Chief Justice the
Lot-Acoustics OF the Supreme
Court Room.
Special Correspondence of the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26.-The present
row between President Cleveland and
Senator Hill over the appointment of
an associate justice of the supreme
court is calling attention to that ex-
tremely august and select body of our
fellow citizens. Larger crowds than
usual Of those oHen-mouthed tourists
from the rural sections lie in wait for
the members of the court, and survey
them with aWe-Stricken countenances
as they proceed from the robing room to
take their monday seats upon the
chairs of authority in the court room.
During the sessions of the court the
benches reserved for visitors are daily
filled with constantly changing groups
of visitors Interested and curious only
for moment in the dry judicial de-
tails and legal verbiage which are the
distinguishing characteristic of the
great tribunal.
The youngest member of the supreme
court-in appearance Chief Justice
Fuller, appointed by President Cleve-
land from the city OF Chicago April 80,
1883, and confirmed by the senate July
20, lSSS. His long hair and large, jaunty
mustache are snowy white, but not
outstanding this fact he would scarcely
appear to be fifty years of age to the
casual observer. although he will be
siXty-one i'll February. His clear COM
pleXion, alert manners and solid nerves
proclaim that he is a man of steady
habits, and not given to the pleasures
of the table or the qualification of the
senses.
The oldest in years and in service
upon the supreme bench is Justice
Field. He was appointed associate
justice from California by Abraham
Lincoln, in 1868. He will be seventy
seven years of age on his next birthday,
and in habits and manners shows eX-
treme age. The wonder is constantly
expressed that Justice Field does not
accept retirement and his we'll earned
days in peace and quietness. But til e
conscientious old man still c!ings to the
bench, doing his full share of the hard
work, and as attentive to every duty as
the youngest member.
Justice Gray is the next oldest, hav-
ing been born in 1923. His appointment
was given to him from Massachusetts,
in 1881, by President Arthur.
Justice Shiras was born IN January,
1892, and was appointed from Pennsyl-
vania III 1892 by President Harrison.
Justice Jackson, born in April, 1882.
was appointed from Tennessee by
President Harrison to his present posi-
ton in 1888.
Justice Harlan was born in 1883. and
appointed to his seat upon the bench in
1877 by President Hayes.
Justice Brown was born in 1886, and
appointed from Michigan by President
Harrison in 1891.
Justice Brewer was born in 1887, his
mother being the sister of Justice
Field. He also was appointed bv Presi-
dent Harrison from the state of Kansas.
Two of the justices were born in
Massachusetts, and Brown-and
one each in Maine (Fuller), Kentucky
Narlan), Connecticut (FielG). Pennsyl-
vania (Shiras), Tennessee (Jackson),an
Asia Minor (Brewer). The latter was
born of American missionary parents.
Fuller was graduated from Bowdoin
college, Field from Williams, Harlan
from Centre college (Kentucky), Gray
from Harvard, Brown, Shiras aid
Brewer from Yale, and Jackson from
West Tennessee college.
The supreme court room is rather
confined in its dimensions. and nearly
all its available space is given over to
the uses of the bar. There are seats
provided for the legal profession to the
number of one hundred or more, and
they occupy the position of the par
quette in the theater-the Judges sitting
on an elevated platform or stage facing
the audience. For the general public,
cushioned benches. with a seating ca f..
pacity of one hundred or less, are pro
vded. These occupy the place of the
circl1-the room being Semi-circular in
form. Two attentive negroes saddle
colored-act as tylerS or doorkeepers-
one on the outside and one within. The
room is the old senate chamber,in which
the historical voices of Clay, Webster,
Calhoun and Benton formerly awoke
echoes that never eep-literally-be-
cause the acoustics of the room are so
outrageously defective that they give
the greatest orators putrid sore throat to
speak therein. and keep the profane
udltor swearing because he cannot
distinguish the most clearly enunciated
sentences. 1t is probably just as we'll.
It's not necessary to hear the decisions
Of the supreme court, as defeated con-
testants will agree that they are con-
veyed to the sense and intelligence
with ample force and swiftness by feel
ing.
When the gang of idlers and tourists
stand and witness the daily procession
as the judges, promptly at IL H.. defile
past them few of them probably know
that they are witnessing ta5leau from
the Middle Ages. With slow and digni-
fed mien these gentlemen of mature
age pass by in their gowns - those
gowns the last remaining relic Of an
age that was Semi-barbaric. These
silken caricatures of the modern night
dress in some ignorant generation long
gone by probably added eclat to the
personality of the man clothed with the
majestic and mysterious terrors of the
law. They do SO no Ion ger. Why,then,
are they retained? Simply as sur
yival. They are not handsome or grace
full or any longer dignifed: but at least
superfiuous, if not positively ridiculous
Time was when crowns, scepters and
thrones were the symbols Of the majesty
OF human government. In the same
period, and later, the judges represent
ing the force and power of the law wore
gowns and sat upon sacks filled with
wool, these being also symbols. Today
in America the law that is not carried
in the hearts. sympathies and con-