New-York tribune., 1900-05-27
Mr.. PLATT, Mr. HAZEL AND SOME OTHERS

Mr.. PLATT, Mr.. HAZEL AND SOME OTHERS.
Senator Platt has come to the defence of his
candidate for District Judge of the Western
District of New-IOrk. In The Tribune yester-
day published his expression Of confidence
that John r. Hazel would 'be competent and
able judge" and his declaration that Mr. Hazel
had 1.-The Endorsement of every Supreme Court
''Justice in his district, of every Congressman
lin the district, and of hundreds of the most
prominent and influential men of Buffalo, in
"cluding Mr. Bissel who was Postmaster-Gen-
"eraI in President Cleveands Cabinet"
Perhaps it is high treason not to accept i'm
plicitly Mr.. Piatt's judgment to competence
OF any man for any office. but persons who
have seen Mr.. Platt for years expressing equal
confidence in the ability and fitness of his can
didates who repeatedly turned out to be the
most unfit officials, working to the disadvantage
of the people and the disgrace of the Republi-
can party, may be pardoned if they prefer some
other recommendation than Mr.. Platt's on the
subject of merit and fitness. All his geese are
swans, whether they are named George Aldridge
or John Hazel Mr.. Platt thinks that by flash
ing the Endorsements of Supreme Court Justices
on the public he can blind everybody TO the real
facts of Mr.. HazeIs unfitness for judge No
body needs 10 be told that it is easy for an all
powerful machine 10 collect from people in any
way dependent on it or desrous of standing
well with il respectable Endorsements for any
man for any office. 1t is not. under these cir
cumstances, the men who petition for an ap-
pointment which the machine earnestly de-
sjres who count, but the men who protest
against it; and when few leading lawyers
of unquestioned character arise 10 declare a
unfit for a seat on the bench, and give
facts which are not disproved for their opinion
they should be listened to in preference to the
perfunctory letters of any number of good
narured people. judges or laymen.
How worthless are the Endorsements which
Mr.. Patt parades is illustrated by the fact that
one judge testifes TO Mr.. Hazers ability as
shown in many cases" before him when it has
been discovered that Mr.. Hazel appeared before
him only once in ten years, and then did not
actively try the case. Everybody who knows
New York politics knows that with its power to
advance judges the machine can extort letters
from them, and knows, moreover that some of
the Justices of the Supreme Court have for a
long time been so fearful of Mr. HazeIs rising
ambition that they are glad TO recommend him
for Federal court and remove the danger of
having their own court afflicted with his igno-
rance and his politics At the Senate Commit
tee hearing on Friday il was conceded that Mr.
Hazel had little experience in State courts and
argued that Federal practice was so different
that the objection of his opponents ought not to
count. And yet Mr.. Plat relies on the indorse-
ment of State judges 10 prove his candidates
fitness for post for which told State
practice is no preparation, even If he had it,
As a matter of fact, he has even less of the
Federal court than of the State court training
- the admiralty lawyers of the district who