The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-03
TOPASSON THE MERGER
SOMETHING OF THE PRESIDING
 JUDGES.
Caldwell, Most Prominent of the Quartette, is Free Silver-Bryan-
 ite-Sanborn, Van Devanter
 and Thayer the Others.

Washington, April 2.-(Special. )-Some-
 what more attention Is nowadays given 10 the personalities of judges on the
 bench than. formerly when so many questions of public policy were not at issue. In these times of antitrust agi- tation and Interpretation of laws affect ing alleged monopoly people are curious 70 70 Know as much as possible or the pc ment of the judges immediately con- cerned
 Just now a very general interest is fo- cussed upon the court at St. Louis en- gagged In considering the Northern se- curities. or merger. case. There are four judges in the case. Henry H. Caldwell presiding; Walter H. Sanborn, Willis Van Devanter and Amos M. Thayer.
 Judge Caldwell, although from the southwest, is much the best known of the quartette. He is native of Virginia wno went West in his early youth and became Union soldier during the civil war. He was favorably known to Pres ident Lincoln who made him United otates District Judge for Eastern Ar kansas lie was advanced to the judge snip of the Eighth Circuit by President harrlson. filling vanacy made by the appointment of David J. Brewer to the united States Supreme Court.
 Judge Caldwell first attracted unusual attention by speech which he made at dinner in St. Louis in which he took aoVanced grounds in favor of the free coinage of silver and declared himself Tor money for the common people as dis tinguished from that in the control of the professional capitalists. This was be- Tore silver was made a national issue, ana the Judges radical and unexpected declarattons so astonished the company who heard him that his utterances were received with utter silence
 Tn lSS6. before the national conventions met, Judge Caldwell gave cumulative evil dence of his adherence to the cause of coinage hty ut finoy tn frio -11f ter on the subject, manifestly intended Tor publication. In this letter he wrote or the duty of the United States not 10 let England dictate the financial pol icy Of this country and used the expres- sion: "rhe President has thrown down the gage Of battle. l trust the silver men or all parties and everywhere will take It up. The people have been de- luded and driven until their eyes are open.''
 About this time he rendered a decision from the bench in the Union Pacific re- ceivership case in VI waich he sustained the rlght Of railroad employees to combine and organize for the purpose If obtaining an increase of wages, principle. by the way, which Justice Holmes, while or the Massachusetts Supreme Bench up. neid. This position, coupled with that he was known to have taken on the money question, caused Judge Caldwell to bt oiscussed as a candidate for President ana to be frequently referred to by VII, nam Jennings Bryan in terms of especia praise. Had MT Bryan been elected he would undoubtedly have placed Judge Caldwell on the United States Supreme Bench. The Nebraskan held that f
 would be worth while for the "cause ot humanity and labor to have such | friend on the highest bench in the union Judge Caldwell discouraged the idea o | making him candidate. saying that hi. l preference lay in judicial rather thar an executive occupation. In view of tn, 1act that Judge Caldwell Is soon to re
 tire on account of age and because o ms past expressions. 1t Is conjecturec that he will side with the Government against the merger Judge Caldwell. | nome Is Tn Little Rock Ark, and or the Eighth Circuit With him are the thre, | judges named already.
 Judge Van Devanter was, until recent | ly. Assistant Attorney General for tn, | Interior Department, to which he wa. | appointed from Wyoming. He was giver l the new Judgeship of the Eighth Circui | by President Roosevelt. Having alway been an ardent administra ton man. Jude | Van Devanter, 1t is believed here, vii l incline to the Governments side of tn, l case at St Louis
 l The Judge who is presumed to have : | leaning to the corporation side of tn, | case is Walter H. Sanborn. His home i
 Tn St. Paul. Minn. whither he went iron | New Hampshire. after graduating iron Dartmouth College. Most of his practice | before going on the bench was as al | attorney for railroads and other corpor 1 ations. He was made A Circuit Judge b, 1 President Harrison m 1892
 Judge Amos M. Thayer is a New York | CT by birth who lives in St. Louis H l was appointed by President Cleveland | but very little Is known of his prediIec | tions, except that he enjoys in the cir
 cult the reputation of a model judge.