Evening star., 1894-02-17

tE>SWSl .Ng|n Justice Taneys
!: !: !:
,WN3sS SerE>NEi name was rejected
flX 4 hJFIrIl, twice by the Senate
iN w lE before he was finally
%Asy confirmed for that
A" office. Meanwhile
the great mechanism
of procrastination
has been lacking a cog-wheel. To call 1t
by that title is to do it no injustice mas
much as nine out of every ten cases sub
mitted to this high tribunal are carried up
to 1t not for the purpose of obtaining the
reversal of decisions rendered by lower
courts but purely and simply for the sake
of extraordinarily to keep people out of
money which they have won by suits at
law. How effective this plan is may be
judged when it is considered that after
the briefs in case are filed four years
must ordinarily elapse before the latter
can come up for consideration. There are
1900 cases on the docket now
No other legal tribunal that ever existed
has possessed such well-nigh absolute power
as is welded by the Supreme Court of the
United States. 1t can even overthrow any
law passed by Congress and signed by the
President, If it chooses to discover a con-
stitutional flaw in the measure, and from
its decision there is no appeal. Such awe
does it inspire that lawyers of great reputa-
ton and experience who come here to
plead before 1t are often seized with fright
trembe. turn pale and forget their words
in its presence. A distinguished legal lumi-
nary from New York confessed the other
day that. after arguing case at the bar
of the Supreme Court he always goes
straight to his hotel and changes his under
clothing. because it is soaked with per-
spiration! On the other hand, it some
times happens that a country attorney
who says "drawed' and "ain't got none"
will exhibit the utmost sangfroid in ad-
dressing the august row of black gowns.
They VIII Get Lost.
On a recent occasion an advocate of this
caliber was arguing a patent before
the court. He claimed an infringement of
rights in the manufacture of new style
collar button. Incidentally, he spoke at
length and with enthusiasm of the varied
merits of the invention. Justice Shiras,
who is the huporist of the supreme bench
interrupted his glib discourse by saying:
Il wish to ask it, among the numerous
admirable qualities of this collar button
one of particular and indispensable import
ance is embraced. In a word, if it falls
and rolls under the bureau can it be found
again?'
The query was put with the utmost ap-
parent gravity, and it staggered the lawyer
completely, that, after adding few
hesitating remarks. he closed his argument
Justice Brown and Justice Harlan were
both convulsed with mirth because it hap
pened that each of them had lost a collar
button that very morning. Browns had
rolled under the fireplace and lodged in a
spot secure from recovery behind the gas
log. Whether the joke had any influence
in the decision favorable to the plaintiff
which was rendered, nobody can tell.
The midday meals for the justices are
fetched by their messengers from the res
taurant of the Senate to the private lobby
back of the bench. Because a majority of
the nine judges provided by law must al
ways be present in order to make a quo
rum, they go out to eat one or two at
time.
A Man of Regular Habits.
The late Justice Blatchford was a very
remarkable man in respect to the regularity
of his personal habits. For years and years.
every day at precisely fifteen minutes past l
o'clock to the second. he would leave the
bench and go into the lobby for his lunch.
The meal was always of exactly the same
kind and quantity of food. He returned to
his chair invariably at the same minute. He
began shaving himself at the same minute
everything each month Even his letters
on business matters of routine were always
framed in the same words. He slept so
many hours and so many minutes every
night, waking up at the moment when the
clock pointed to the hour of 4. His amuse-
ments were regulated with similar eXacti-
tude. His death was a great surprise to his
colleagues, who had imagined that he Would
hardly permit even the dread enemy of
mankind to interrupt the methodical course
-. A-;1 10
regularity of his habits ought to have in
sured his survival to the age of 100 at least
A little popularity of Justice Gray is that
he does not wear his coat under his black
gown, as his colleagues do. He is a very
ful-blCoded and vigorous man, so that he
does not require so much clothing to keep
him warm. He anG Harlan are the twin
giants of the Supreme Court. Each of them
measures about three inches over six feet in
his shoes and weighs close on 300 pounds
Gray is probably the heavier of the two. A
trick OF Harlans is peculiar nervous habit
of twitching his head. Brown and Brewer
are graduates of Yale College and We're in
the same class there. They are fond Of
rigging each other like two big boys
Field is the oldest of the Justices having
turned seventy-seven years. He was ap-
pointed by President Lincoln. He is Won
derfully learned man and one of the greatest
lawyers of modern times unquestioilahly.
He 10th speaks and writes modern Greek.
In 1880 he was elected alcalde OF Mary SVIIle,
Cal under the old Mexican law.
His position as incumbent of that office
was very remarkable for. although his le-
gal authority was very limited, he was
called on to exercise Il power almost deS-
potic in the control of the lawless elements,
which required a strong hand to deal with
them at that time. Justice Field is quite
feeble now and is not called on to do much
work.
To carry a case up to the Supreme Court
costs a good deal of money The appel
lants must make a deposit of $1,000 ordi-
narly to pay for printing and fees. The
late clerk of the court, named Middleton,
received an income of about $4,000 from
fees as it was reckoned. But a disagree
ment which arose among the clerical off,
GERS attached to the tribunal gave rise to
an investigation, a result being that the
pay of the clerk was cut down to $1,000
year. This is paid out of the fees the bal
ance being turned into the treasury.
Methods of the Court.
Unless case before the Supreme Court is
unusually important. only one hour is al
lowed for argument on each side. From
fifteen to twenty cases are disposed of each
week. Though a new case ordinarily must
wait about four years before coming UP for
consideration. an almost immediate hearing