The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1910-11-24
JUSTICE HUGHES CONFRONTED
BY STRANGE OLD TRADITIONS

~ OVERNOR HUGHES will i'm
prove things" predicted
one Of his friends who had
seen him revOlutionize at
fa1rs at Albany, when the announce
ment came that he had accepted ap-
pointment to the bench of the supreme
court Of the United States.
1t is big job, the one this friend as
signed to MI. Hughes.
Inlngs are done at the supreme
court today just about the same wav
they were done in the days of John
Marshall. There are a few variations.
out they are only skin deep; the roots
are undisturbed. The customs of the
fathers are the customs of the sons.
as the new justice has discovered, even
though he has rendered one decision.
Dignity sometimes may gall the
slave, but it seldom lessons his de-
votlon. One member of the present
court, it is said, had a secretary who.
one evening while out on an errand
Tor the justice, succumbed to the temp
tation to step into what in WASHINGTON
is politely called a buffet home
they call it saloon He became
alarmed lest his new employer might
detect the telltale odor on his breath
and upon his return fastened to con-
Tess to his chief, laying all the blame
upon the friend, who was particeps
criminis.
Longed For Horizontal Drink.
Promptly the justice absolved him.
There was a world of envy in his
tone as he said:
MY boy, how much wouldn't 1 give
for just one more horizontal drinkv'
For the dignity of the bench forbids
justice to appear before any bar.
Justice Hughes will find that dignity
has beset with an ENGAGEMENT of Gus
tom the path that he must tread. At
the beginning Of his career on the
bench he may deliver his opinions
in a clear, distinct voice, but in due
course Of time he will be expected
to get the Whispering habit" This
whispering custom" is the one the
newspaper reporters who flash to the
world the outcome Of a great case as
soon as the words have fallen from the
lips Of the court detest most.
Chief Justice Fuller had fine voice
when he began in 1888 to announce
opinions. In his last years he delivered
them in the manner of one having
some dreadful secret to conceal. JUS
tlce Lurton, who took his place on
the bench early in 1910, still talks so
that you can hear him. His words,
loudly and plainly enunciated, are
pleasure to hear. How soon he will
begin to acquire the Whispering
habit no one can say.
Maps Are Permissible.
AS he gets older Justice Hughes
may be forgiven if he takes a nap on
the bench. Justice Brewer did. A SEN
ator is permitted to go to a luxurious
office or be driven for the day if he
feels trifle drowsy. So it is per-
mitted justice to snatch forty winks
In his chair during prosy addresses
to the court, with the general under
standing that later he will atone by
reading the printed briefs in the case.
There are some embarrassments like
~ to result from these surreptitious
snOOZes. It is said that in the course
of the argument of a case one day
Justice Gray doZed off just before his
bride came into court with some visi-
tors to show them her husband ION
the job.' On another occasion, the
story goes, snapshot artist got a
picture of the justice while he slept
and then published it.
A set Of customs governs the new
Justices relations to the attorneys and
counselors. There are estimated to
be about 10000 lawyers on the roll
of the supreme court bar. Justice
Hughes will not see all of them. The
list includes the name Of every prac
titioner before the court since the days
of it's organization in 1890. About 300
names are added to it every year, but
never, save possibly when man goes
to the penitentiary, is a name taken
off the roll
A few years ago one man was intro
duced to the court, took the oath, but
entirely overlooked the necessity of
leaving fees in the clerks Office and of
signing the attorneys roll. Instead of
his name a couplet was offered to the
clerk to be pasted into the book to
explain the vacant line, still untitled,
but it was placed in the unofficial ar
chives Of the clerks Office. It reads:
Sacred to the memory of "John Brown"
Sworn into court, but never found.
This place is left in case he comes back
And signs the roll and becomes counsel in
fact.
Court Steeled to Shocks.
More or less discretion is allowed the
counsel in addressing the court. Some
times the justices, Mr.. Hughes will see,
are shocked and bear with it, and some
times they don't. One day A. E. Crane
Of Kansas almost stupefied the court
INV oddrocSiDo thoSo dirnjfo1 voreo,,