Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-01-23
A Scandal Without Precedent.

A Scandal Without Precedent.
1t is unfortunate for President
Mckinley that he should feel called
upon to take such tender interest
in the sons of two Supreme Court
Justices just at the time when the
administration is defendant in a
most important case, involving the
constitutionality of the Porto Rican
legislation ana the policy of imperi-
alism.
One of the Justices who, although
a strong Republican, is suspected of
an inclination to decide against the
administrations contentious, is JUS
tice Harlan. Mr.. Mckinley has
gone out of his way to make son of
this Justice, who lives in Chicago,
United States District Attorney in
that city, a highly important place.
Concerning the appointment the
Springfield Republican says that a
leading Chicago lawyer writes
"The appointment just at this time
of James S. Harlan, of this city to
be Attorney General of Porto Rico,
is scandalous performance. 1t il
lustrates we'll Mr.. McKinley's me-
thods. Mr.. Harlan is an attorney of
a few years. experience and good
personal standing. 1t does him no
injustice to say that there are fifty
men at this bar of his age and expe-
rience who are equally well qualified
for the position, and there are hun
dreds of such men throughout the
country. There can be no possible
explanation of his appointment, sun
requested,' just now except that the
vote of his father, as a Justice of the
Supreme Court, is desired by the ad-
ministration in the pending cases
affecting it's colonial policy"
Another Justice of the Supreme
Court, whose inclination to side with
the administration in regard to the
new possessions is less doubtful, is
Mr.. McKenna, of California. The
New York Times says that Senator
Pettigrew had objected to the con-
firmation of young Harlan on the
score of property, and, furthermore
CAT the same time it is asserted
that he will also ask the Senate to
consider the propriety of the selec-
ton of a son of Associate Justice
McKenna, tc be made Captain and
Inspector General in Porto Rico.
He had been O First Lieutenant,
having been graduated from the mill
tary academy. Just before his pro-
motion Lieutenant Colonel r. B.
Harrison was discharged from the
post of Inspector General of Porto
Rico because there was no longer
any need for his services. Yet, i'm
mediately after his dismissal by tele-
graph from post that army officers
unite in saying he had filed admira-
bly,, two officers were assigned to the
same service, Captain McKenna be-
ing one of them. Those who COM
ment upon the changes do not ques-
tion the competency of the War De-
partment to judge of the necessity
or desirability of making changes,
but it is considered unfortunate that
in making the changes it was con-
sidered important to put son of a
Justice of the Supreme Court in a
competent officers place.
Of course if Justice Harlan is dis
posed to decide against Mr.. McKin-
ley on constitutional grounds, but
takes refuge in the fact of the ap-
pointment Of his son, to take part in
the decision, the administration will
succeed in reducing by one the num-
Der of Justices who will stand for
the Republic against the Empire.
We regard the manner in which
the President is plainly attempting
to influence the Supreme Court in
this case as probably the most scan
dalous and shocking incident in our
political history. We believe that
absolutely no such >. ,ident has ever
como to the public howledge in the
whole history of to Supreme Court.
Hartford Daily ines.