The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-01-19
HANDS OFF THE SUPREME COURT,

1uuulCy.
HANDS OFF THE SUPREME COURT!
Just as the supreme court of the
United States is engaged in listening
to arguments of able lawyers as to
whether or not the island of Porto
Rico is part of the American repub-
lie, the occupant of the White House
deems it his duty to give positions of
honor and emolument to the sons of
two Of the judges by whom the argu-
ments are being heard. Such action
on the part Of the president comes with
exceeding bad taste at this time, and
some organs of the plutocracy are can
did enough to say so. The supreme
court Of the United States should not
be embarrassed by any president,
much less by one whose foreign policy
is to stand or fall by it's decision.
The president recently dismissed
Lieutenant Colonel Russell 3. Harri-
son, because his father, ex-President
Harrison, adversely criticised his Porto
Rican policy, and because he did not
take the stump for Imperialism in the
late campaign. In place Of young Har-
rison he has appointed Lieutenant Il.
B. McKenna, son of Justice McKenna
of the supreme court, as inspector gen.
eral of volunteers in the island, with
the rank of major. In addition to that
he has appointed James S. Harlan, of
Chicago, son of Justice Harlan Of the
same court, as attorney general of the
island. No matter how worthy or how
competent these young men may be for
the appointments given them by Presi-
dent Mckinley, it places their fathers
in an awkward predicament. AS the
Boston Republic says in the case of
young Harlan:
IF the court should hold that we
have no right or authority to set UP
government there, young Mr.. Harlan's
occupation is gone. His father
must pass upon that question.
Can he do so with perfect
freedom while his sons posi-
tion is at stake? We do not know
what Justice Harlan's view is with
respect to the policy of the administra-
ton. lie may favor it or he may be
opposed to it, but when he comes to
vote upon it he cannot exclude from
his mind the fact that his son is an
official in the island and that his sons
future is sure to be affected one way
or another by the courts decision"
AS the Irish Standard may be charg-
ed with prejudice against Mckinley
for it's opposition to his imperial policy
abroad, we will let non-partisan pa
per, the Chicago Record, discuss the
improperly Of tampering with the su-
preme court at this juncture. In q
leading article it says:
Conceding the personal fitness Of
McKenna and Harlan, their appoint
ments still show an astonishing indeli-
cacy on the part of the administration
an indelicacy which is all the more
deplorable when it is considered that
the administration cannot be excused
on the plea of ignorance of the situa-
ton. When Mr.. Mckinley selected Mr..
Harlan and Lieutenant McKenna for
lucrative positions in our island possess
sions he must have been perfectly we'll
aware that he was giving out substan-
tial favors to the sons of justices be-
fore whom questions involving those
island possessions must come. 1t is in
no sense reflection upon those JUS
tees to- say that they have thus been
placed involuntarily in the attitude of
being put under obligations. The fact
that they will try to ignore these obi
cations makes no difference. They
have been placed deliberately in po-
sitioh in which men of less integrity
might be influenced to favor the adj
ministration, while men Of integrity
but of less breadth of view might be
Influenced to oppose the administra-
tion's side for the sake Of appearances.
President McKinley's proneness to
offend in this way stamps him as
man of wretched taste, when the best
is said of him. These shameless .ap-
pointments, made while the fate of
Porto Rico is in the balance, imply in
credible dullness on the part of the
chief executive or a degree of cynicism
that properly calls for stern reproof
from the people.