The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-12
JUDGE JONES TALKS
HE DENIES MOTIVES ATTRIBUTED
 TO HIM.
Says He Has Not Dreamed of sitting oz Supreme Court Bench-Wanss an Additienal Judge in
 AlabaDa.

In an interview yesterday witn feP resentative of The Advertiser, Judge Thomas c. Jones, of the United States Court. set at rest repeated newspaper gossip connecting him with an amni- lion to sit on the bench Of the united .T have never dreamed of such a thing" said Judge Jones. The re- ported talk of my friends was simply circulated to furnish basis for im- putting sinister reasons to me for doing my duty"
 additional Federal Judge for Alabama, Judge Jones said:
 T have always been in favor of an additional Federal Judge in Alabama since there are four places to hold court twice a year. With two districts. the increase of business and the vast number of matters arising in the ad- ministration of the bankrupt law, 1t is impossible for one judge to begin to do the work of these two districts. This has always been my attitude.
 Members of the bar at several places have conferred with me and the bill. which will have my approval, will be introduced providing for an additional judge for these two districts who shall 1 reside in the Northern District Several districts in the North have such additional judges and 1t Is not asking too much to request an addi- tional judge to work in these two dis tricts. It would not be practicable to appoint a judge for the Northern Dis trict only. One judge could not do the i work at Huntsville. Birmingham and Anniston. and it would be inconvenient and probably difficult to revise the two districts so as to equalize the burden of the work therein between two judges each confined to separate dis i, trict. Besides, under such an arrange ment, if one of the judges happened to be sick or to go out of the State for a little while, neither of the districts would be out of a judge as would be the case now. For this reason I have remained here all of the year and did not take a vacation because I did not wish to leave the two districts without a judge whose services are constantly needed.
 Judge Toulmin has kindly done what work he could in his spare time In the Northern District but he has his own court in Mobile whose admiralty busi- ness is large and he is frequently de- | tailed on the Court of Appeals. He could not do his duty in Mobile and | do half of the work besides In the three courts at Huntsville, Birmingham and Anniston.
 '"The Federal law Is not like the State law. When a Federal judge is taken sick or is absent. judge from another district has to be detailed in his place There are not enough judges in this circuit who have spare time to meet these emergencies as they arise. | T think a fair presentation of the | territorial conditions here and the large amount of business including the | bankruptcy matters-of which we un- fortunately take rank about fourth in
 the United States--will enable us tc get the bill passed with the united Congressional delegation from Ala
 bama behind it."
 will you discuss the applicants for
 the additional judgeship?" Judge Jones | was asked.
 The suggestion caused a broad smile
 'No." he replied, that is a matter
 not to be discussed by me-" @..
 What about the proposition report
 ed from Birmingham, concerning the
 new judge. that if you should die or l resign before Judge Toulmin he should
 take the Middle District, and if he
 should die or resign before you that you should take the Mobile DistrictT l There was no reason for such 9
 statement" replied Judge Jones. "It | was not. seriously considered. Both Judge Toulmin and myself would hear I tily oppose. such a bill and the whole l Alabama delegation Tn Congress would probably do so.
 l The Mobile people want their own judge, if anything should happen to l Judge Toulmin and the people of the l Middle District would want their own judge if anything should happen to | me. Besides, the suggestion was fool
 ish as 1t would amount to an intima- l tion that two men could do the work l for which three are being asked. If
 Judge Toulmin and could do all of .he | work in the State now. there would be no need for a third judge and if two
 judges could do all of the work, in the | event something happened to Judge Toulmin or myself. they could do il just as well now as then"
 l Judge Jones'" asked the writer
 what will you say about the frequent | allusions in newspapers to a report
 that your friends have been urging l your selection for the Supreme Court
 benchT'
 There Is absolutely nothing in it,
 said Judge Jones. T have never dreamed of such a thing. There are
 already two Southern judges on the | Supreme Court bench and not likely to
 be any vacancies soon. If there were and, even if supposed l possessed the ! requisite attachments, I would not be l an aspirant because there are others of greater merit and claims to be consid-
 cred for the place.
 l The reported talk of my friends was
 circulated simply to furnish a basis for ] imputing sinister reasons to me for do-