Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-18
PRESIDENTIAL
TIMBER TALK
Judge Brewer Mentioned at
Washington as Possible
Dark Horse.
AN ALTERNATIVE FOR TAFT.
War Secretary May Go on Supreme
Bench If He Misses Nomination as
His Pnrty's Leader.
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
Washington. Jan. 12.--some of the
Republicans OF prominence who prop
ably think that there may be u
stubborn contest for the presidential
nomination before the coming
Chicago convention and that u
dark horse is just as likely as not TO
he the nominee are booming Mr.. JUS
tice Brewer of the supreem court TOR
their party standard bearer. In lair
ness to this eminent jurist, however, IL
can be stated that he is not vain
enough to imagine that the presidentiai
bee is buZzlng around his ears. Rus
venerable uncle, the late stephen j.
Field, who served longer on the su-
preme court bench than any other man
since the tribunal was established,
Chief Justice John Marshall OF Nlr-
ginia. not even excepted. did have preSi-
dental aspirations. In 1850 Judge
Fields friends conducted an active
campaign in his own behalf, having in
full operation a press bureau at WASH
ington, and when the national Demo-
cratic convention met at Cincinnati
that year his boomers held quarters
there. But they were unable to per-
suade a considerable number of dele
gates outside of California to look upon
the Field movement as formidable
one. and General Winfield Scott Han
cock was selected to head the Demo-
cratic ticket
NOT DISQUALIFIED BY BIRTH.
Judge Brewer is 20 years of age.
OF the older members of the
court he is decidedly the most active
physically. He was born in Asia Mi
nor, his parents at that time being
American missionaries In that coun-
try. But, In the opinion of the best con-
stitutional lawyers. that would not dis
qualify him for the presidency any
more than it would Mayor Mcclellan of
New York, who happened to be born
in Berlin, Germany, while his parents
were on visit TO that country.
AGES OF SUPREME COURT JUS
TICES.
Only two members of the supreme
court are the seniors of Justice Brewer.
Chief JusticeFuller will be 10 in Feb
ruary, and Justice Harlan was "a in
June last. The ages of the other SUI
preme court judges are: Peckham, 50 !;
McKenna, "a; Holmes, Sc; White, 81 ;
Day, So: Moody, 81. The chief justice
and Judge Harlan have reached the
, age limit and can retire on full salary
for life. Two Justices are now on the
retired ltSt--JudgeS Brown of AliChr-
gan and Shiras of Pennsylvania.
AN ALTERNATIVE FOR TAFT.
If Secy, Taft falls to carry the
Republican nomination for president
at the Chicago convention and a va
cancy should occur in the supreme
court bench before the expiration of
President Roosevelt's term it is be-
lieved that he would appoint Seey.
Taft. A vacancy might occur through
the death or retirement of one of the
judges AS is known, MIR. Taft was Of
fered q position on the supreme court
bench when Justice Brown retired on
account OF failing eyesight, and be-
cause he would not accept most of the
shrewd politicians concluded that his
lightning rod was up for the presi-
dency as the administration candidate.
BENEFITS OF FISH PRoPAGA-
TION.
For the amount of money spent the
United States bureau OF fisheries prob
ably spreads more direct benefits
among the people than any other bu-
reau of the government. In round
numbers Congress has appropriated
about $l,000-000 year to run this es-
tablishment, but the allowances viii