The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-01-07
DEMOCRATS OPPOSE ADAMS.

The President Informed That If
Spencer b. Adams is Appointed to
Succeed Judge PurnelI That His
Confirmation VIII Be Held Up i'm
the Senate Two Non-PoliticaI
Reasons Why His Appointment
Should Not Be Made.
! Sundays Charlotte Observer con-
tanned the following letter from its
Washington Correspondent:
President Roosevelt has been
| told, I am informed, that if he ap-
points Judge Spencer B. Adams to
succeed the late Judge Thomas r.
Purnell his confirmation will be held
up in the Senate. I believe that my
| information is accurate.
"' If you will take the trouble to
| investigated writes a leading Demo-
cratic lawyer, east of Raleigh, you
will find that 95 per cent of the bar
| of the State would be opposed to the
appointment of Judge Adams on two
entirely non-political grounds: first,
q lack of respect for his legal attain
ments, and, second, lack of faith in
his judicial fitness
+ Continuing the writer says: If
Adams should be named I should re-
gard it the imperative duty of cur
Senators to fight his confirmation to
the very last. In saying this l am,
| / think, voicing the sentiment of the
| disinterested lawyers of the State"
''The author of the letter quoted
here is a man who has say in shap-
ing the policies Of his party and is
considered one of the very ablest at
| torneys in the eastern section of the
| State.
Another Democratic lawyer, who
resides in the eastern district, de-
clares: Adams ought not to be ap-
pointed judge, and the lawyers know
it. I believe many of them would
urge Overman and Simmons to fight
| the appointment.
Not Kind of Man for Judge.
Judge Adams is not the kind of
man We would like to have for a
judge. He is bitter partisan and
has been so all his political life.
| He has not been busy practitioner
| and knows little about the practice of
| the courts
'''I would like for the best of feel
| ings to obtain between the people
and the Federal courts, but this can
not be when judges are appointed
when they could not get the support
of per cent of the disinterested bar
of the State writes third.
''There is no doubt that the ap-
pointment Of Adams would raise a
storm in the east, and 1t is abso-
lutely certain now that Senator Sim
mons and Overman would be asked
to fight his confirmation.
''It is no secret that Judge Adams
ancient and persistent foe, former
Senator Marion Butler, with all the
influence he can bring to bear, will
not let him become judge if he car
prevent it.
Democrats Will Fight Confirmation.
| ''I have been told that Mr.. Roose.
| velt said that he would not go out OF
the district for man If he could gel
one inside of it. But the power oi
National Committeeman e. G. Dun.
| can at home and in Washington Ii
known and respected. Republican
lawyers who might apply for the
judgeship and get the support o1
their bars do not seem to think Il
worth while to apply under the cir
cumstances, and, therefore, the great
fight will not be made before the
President but in the Senate, not by
Republicans but by Democrats
Judging from the letters that have
received and from things that have
heard, I do not believe that the ap
pointment of Mr.. Adams would gt
through the Senate. II he is namet
for the place, repetition of the
Ewart case may be expected.
i ''If Judge Adams were lawyer @
exceptional legal ability, the cas-,
would be different; but the bar o
the district believes that a dozen Re
pub1icans better fitted for the posi-
ton could be found east of Raleigh
4 Organized effort might defeat tn,
efforts of Mr. Duncan and his organi
Zation, but that does not seem prob
able now. But the Democrats viii
not let the appointment go through
without a desperate fight il accumu
lating evidence does not fail"