The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-01
ON THESUPREMEBENCh
Long Service Of the Veteran
Justice Field.
PRESENT MEMBERS OF THE COURT.


singular Tradition The Hold oD a"
Theory
WASHINGTON March sl-.Special If
stephen johnson Field lives TIL Aug l6.
be wiz break al records for length % serv
/ tee upon the bench OF the supreme court Of
/ the United States The veteran justice
| though showing the effects az time Is IN
| coed health and among his friends not a
/ doubt Is entertained that he viii surpass
al achievements OF the past In the line
OF long service upon that great court The
! honor Of longest service now belongs 90
the memory Of Chief Justice John Mar
shall. the father of the supreme court
and godfather of the constitution. as he
has been called. But Justice Field will,
If his life be spared soon take the record
away from him.
Chief Justice Marshall served from Jan
81. 1901, to July 8, 1885. or "a years, 5
months and days
Justice Field service began March 10,
1868, and on Aug 10 his total service will
be 81 years, 8 months and days
4 Remarkable Record.
If Justice Field lives out the remainder
of the century, as there is every chance
that he will. we shall have the following
remarkable fact.
Three men upon the supreme bench
bridge over from the beginning IN the close
Of the nineteenth century-John Marshall,
1901 10 1885; James NJ. Wayne, 1885 to
1867; Stephen J. Field, 1868 TO 1900
If fourth name be added, that of vii.
liam Cushing, who served from Sept. %,
1889, TO sept. l3, 1910, we have four men
whose service, interlapping, represents the
whole life of the government from the
foundation 20 the present time.
The United States supreme court is re.
markable for the length of service of many
of its justices No fewer than / / men have
sat upon the bench more than a quarter of
"a century each These are:
Chief Justice Marshall. "a years 5
months. Justice Field, "a years; Justice
Story, 33 years months, Justice Wayne,
SO years months; Justice Mclean, 32
years l month, Justice Washington, 81
years months; Justice William Johnson
80 years months; Chief Justice fancy
% years months. Justice Miller. Is years
3 months, Justice Catron. % years 2
months; Justice Nelson, % years 10
months
Five Justices served moro than 20 years
and less than 25, as follows:
Justice Clifford, 30 years months; Jus.
tice Grier, % years 81 months; Justice
Duval. % years month; Justice Cushing,
20 years ii months; Justice Thompson, 20
years months
Inc aggregate service Of these Is justices
IS almost 453 years, or an average of more
than % years each
Including the present members of the
court, "a men have sat upon the supreme
bench seven Of whom were chief justices
The oldest man upon the bench at time
of appointment was Justice Hunt, who
was g years months and % days The
youngest was Justice story 32 years and
months
Age on the Bench
Justice Field. though several mcnths
past 80 is not the oldest man that ever sat
upon the bench. That honor belongs to
Chief Justice Roger b fancy who was
Just 80 when he went upon the bench and
remained there IS years and months
making him s years and 6 months old be
fore death took him from his seat Other
old men on the supreme bench have been
Justice Duyal, 50 Justice Nelson, 81
Chief Justice Marshall, so, Justices Ca
iron Grer and Bradley, 80, Justices
Wayne and Clifford, 49, Justices Mclean.
Daniel and Swayne, 7G, and Justice Mil
Ter, 70
The shortest service on the supreme
lench was that of Justice Thomas John
son of Maryland who sat only "a year and
a half
Quite number of men have declined
places upon the supreme bench One man
IN Il
without being actually IA member of it.
President Washington in 1895 commits
stoned John Rutledge of South Carolina
to be chief justice, and Mr.. Rutledge pre-
sided at the October term of that year
The senate refused to confirm him, and he
had 20 step down On the organization OF
the court, six years previously Mr. Rut.
ledge had declined an appointment as as
sociate justice.
William Cushing while serving as as
sociate justice. was offered the chief jus
ticeship by President Washington. but de.
clined, and remained 5 years an associate
justice.
John Jay, the first chief justice, served
four years and half and resigned in 1894
| Six years later he was offered his old post
but declined In 1889 Robert II Harri
son declined a commission as associate
| justice, as did Levi Lincoln in 1911, John
| Quincy Adams In the same year and Viii
| liam smith in 1887 In December. 1869,
I Edwin NJ stanton was commissioned an
associate justice, to take effect the follow
| ing February, but he died meanwhile
| Roscoe Conkling was appointed and con
frmed an associate justice. but declined
All these destinations refer to appoint.
ments actually made by nomination to the
senate, and not TO the large number Of in.
stances in which presidents have inform
! ally asked lawyers To go upon the bench.
| but have been met with declination
Will Die In Harness.
There has been great deal of talk
| TO the effect that Justice Field will re.
sign now that Mr.. Cleveland Is no longer
| In the White House That Justice Field
dislikes Mr. Cleveland Is well known, and
the cause for 1t generally credited is Mr.
| Cleveland's refusal to promote Justice
Field TO the chief justiceship when Chief
Justice Fuller was appointed Mr. Field
was unwilling to retire when Mr.. Cleve.
land could I'll the vacancy But there Is no