The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-05-23
washington
Day by Day

Washington, May 22.-(Speciai)-An
eminent man now In private life informed
me today that he this morning ascertain
ed from the most direct authority that
the illness of Mr. Justice Gray of the
United States Supreme Court is quite
hopeless.
It will be remembered that many weeks
ago Justice Gray suffered an apoplectic
attack, since when he has not been strong
enough to leave his residence. In fact
he is paralyzed beyond hope of recovery,
and his retirement may be looked for any
day. He is well beyond retiring age so
his pay of $4,000 year will continue I'M
til his death, of which happily there Is
no immediate danger.
The man most talked about as Justice
Grays successor is Mr.. Hoar of Mas
sachusetts, a nephew of Senator Hoar.
Should Mr.. Hoar receive the great honor
he would be one of the youngest men ever
appointed to the Supreme bench, he being
now but 81 years Of age Odd as 1t may
seem, he has always been a Democrat,
though like a great multitude of Demo-
President, his chief reason being what he
and others called the free silver craze
Mr. Hoar is understood to be a man of
marked intellectual ability and legal at
Aainments. He dwells at Concord, and
my eminent friend quoted at the outset
of this letter, who visited him not long
ago, says he is held in very high esteem
by all the inhabitants of his district and
by the people of Massachusetts generally.
1t is not clear that Senator Hoar is
urging the appointment of his nephew to
the Supreme bench. In some essentials
the Senator is the ablest and safest leader
of the Senate. As a defender Of Tue con-
stitution according to his lights, he is
perhaps the ablest and most influential
man In the Senate at this time.
Speaking of Supreme Court Justice
ship 1t is of more than ordinary interest
to state some facts relative to the conflr-
nation of the late L. @. c. Lamar which
have not hitherto appeared in print.
When President Cleveland nominated
Mr.. Lamar for the supreme bench there
was at once manifested a strong opposi-
ton in the Senate committee ON the Jul
dietary to the confirmation of the Missis-
sippian. Among the Democrats who OPP
posed him were Senator George of his own
state and Senator Vest Of Missouri. Sena-
tor walthall, Senator Georges colleague
and senior was an earnest supporter Of
Mr.. Lamar; and 1t Is astonishing now to
know that Senator George was equally
earnest in his efforts to prevent the con-
f1rmation to an exalted public office of
the most illustrous Mississippian since
the days of Jefferson Davis. Foote and
Sargent Prentss! But 1t is not surprising
that Senator Hoar, the arch-priest of
New England antl-southernism, fought
Lamar's confirmation in the judiciary
committee.
No argument could win over the Demo-
cratic Senator George of Lamars own
state, and all argument was vainly urged
against the Republican Senator Hoar of
Massachusetts. Thus the former Confed-
crate of the South and the one-time fiery
abolitionist of New England stood to-
gether in one of the most singular unions
ever formed in the Senate-the former
slave-owner of Mississippi joining the for
mer abolitionist of Massachusetts In MAX
ing war in the Senate upon the greatest
Mississippian of our timei