Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-16
THE SUPREME COURT
The Attack on 1t the Most Dangerous Fea-
ture of the Chicago Platform.
What n Lawyer Says of the Value of
the Life Tenure of the
Justices.

A visiting lawyer from one Of the middle
states, who, as rule. takes little interest
in politics, but who in this campaign is
anxious to see the Chicago ticket defeated.
said to a representative of The Star today
Gen. Harrison, in his New York speech.
did not overs.ate the case when he said
that the attack on the Supreme Court was
the most dangerous feature of the Chicago
platform. / fully agree with him, and it is
81 atifying to me as lawyer to observe
that the members of the legal profession
very generally throughout the country take
the same view of the matter. They resent
1t warmly, and all the more SO for know
ing that the attack was instigated and
that plank In the platform carried by men
wholly untitled to pass upon the judiciary
or the judicial system Of any country. The
convention yielded to the influence of GER
tain labor agitators, and wrote the most
discreditable chapter Of party history. 1t
has cost the party dearly. Nothing shows
SO clearly the revolutionary aims and in
tentfons of Mr.. Bryan and the men who
are behind him.
Value of the Life Tenure.
THE lawyers then see no reason for any
change in the life tenure Of members of the
court?''
so very far from that, they consider that
the judicial branch of the government has
justified itself more completely than the
other branches have. All experience goes
to prove that the fathers were eminently
right when they made the Supreme Court
independent of the storm and stress Of poll
tics. The life tenure is not only the protec-
ton of the members of the court, but the
protection of the people. 1t was intended to
secure, and 1t has served to secure, judg-
ments unbiased by personal or political con-
slderatons. The courts record Is the best
n hn
record. Let anybody examine it with refer
ence to the greater questions that have been
submitted to the court at any period of it's
history, and he'll find that brains and char
acter and patriotism have controlled the
tribunal In its decisions. To put the court
practically at the mercy of the President
and the Senate, as Is contemplated by the
Bryanites, would be to make its decisions
fuctuate like the value of an unprotected
silver dollar. 1t would be impossible to tell
Eow long they'd hold good. Justices in
times of important litigation might come
and go like Congressman. An unpopular
vote on some important point might force e.
change in the one case as it now frequently
does in the other"
Applies to the Other Federal Courts,
do your observations apply to the fed
eral courts of the subordinate grades?"
Yes. 1t would be a great mistake to
change the life tenure feature Of any of
remain, as they now are, Independent Of
mere political influences of every kind. In
TACT that point Is altogether so clear and
important l am unable to understand how
any man Of experience, whether lawyer or
not, can take the other side. Why, If the
life tenure of the federal judges were to be
destroyed one of the principal props of
the government itself would be weakened -
In what estimation is the Supreme
Court as at present organized held by the
legal fraternity throughout the country?'
1t might not be in the best of taste for
me To go into that except that 1t is the
present bench that is attacked The pres
ent court stands very high with lawyers.
Its decisions are very much respected and
there are members of 1t who in their par
ticular lires are regarded as the peers Of
the ablcst men who have preceded them"