The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-09
POLITICS AND UtDt.l.s.

POLITICS AND ,JIDGIs.
The announcement OF Mr. Taft's appointments
the Supreme Bench within the next few days
will 20 far toward showing the country to what
extent this tooplastie man has permitted him
self to be swayed by attempted political inter
ference in the performance OF An essentially
non-political function. II the apnointees shall
be Of stripe 10 bring JOY to the Adrieh fac
Ion the result will b. only less unfortunate
than il they are of that class Of militant iursts
favored by the lnsurgent extreme as illustrated
by La Toilette. On every consideration the ap-
poinments which ought 10 give the country most
satisfaction would be the personal selections OF
the President from juIsts whose records are
judicial rather than partisan in tendency.
The spectacle of the last few weeks Ia eonnee-
ton with these appointments las been anything
but pretty Nv the exertion Of influence
! By open threats to deleat his action b. every
political eSpediency an element of the Senate
has sought to eoerce the Presidents choice Bas.
Ing It's contentious To the fitness OF various
lv suggested Jnfists upon the supposed bias of
these men on certain purely political and econ
onic questions. b, strong faction has declared
that IT viii defeat for confirmation any man
whose record does not square with It's opinion
Democrats, sensing opportunity IN the mis-
chievous attitude of the Insurgents have dc.
olared that they VIII prevent the confirmation Of
= any Judge unless there shah be at least one
Democrat among the appointees Regular
Senators angered by the hlibuster designed 70
make Insurgency the tes Of judicial fitness are
saying nothing. but sharpening their knives
And President Taft. with months of considera-
ton behind him, has apparently paused hes i.
lated. waVered Even in the matter of making
known his choice FOR ligh judicial place his
fatal Weakness in desiring to please everybody
again puts him in danger Of pleasing no one
YET it is just at this time particularly that
there is needed the highest exercise of the GEM
us OF selection The Supreme Court is upon ill.,.
threshold Of a new era in Jurisprudence Dues.
lions which the growth Of the country and the
expansion Of business of every kind have cryst.
allied are pressing for settlement The mem.
bershp Of the court is reduced II must act.
with fun bench or with a depleted one Surely
ii is Of the highest importance that the yacan.
cies he flied BY men Of judicial quality nr..
JUDGED IN favor Of neither side TO the broad
lines Of division Of thought which gave rise to
the pending litigation To appoint 10 the su-
preme bench a man like Judge Grosseup would
be ia weaken the court as tending 10 show TINT
il was being constituted in the interests or
these large corporations whose interests are
primarily unpopular, 70 place there IA man liks
I Judge kennessw Mountain Lands would he IN
serve notice that the pernicous cry agaiust
4 property such bad forced one Of ia APOSTLES
/ to high place As guarding against these two
extremes Of sentiment The Presidents appoint
ing power takes the character of a most de,i
cate trust He will have failed utterly II he
shall either yield 10 the one side or the o,ba,
or split his favors between the two If inc an
polntments shall be such TO meet the sense
OF fairness Of the country, there will De hayt
k4r' for such alleged statesmen as In the moment
tbs Supreme Court
AS has generally been admitted Mr. TAFT
has shown in the appointment of Judges AN
exceptional ability Otherwise and PERTAINS
most OF all because he has depended too little
on himself and much OH others he has
egregously failed sublic leader For him
now, upon any consideration, to hesitate aud
( compromise in the, performance of the one dutY
he knows we'll how perform would be the
quintessence Of folly II he shall act In this
emergency bravely and impartially tnose who
talk 50 much about what they WI do unless he
does az they wish had best put an interrogative
ear to the ground and listen for the verdict OF
the people. The ins'dious doctrine that the
courts are yeHat bas. Il il true. found varied
expression Of late But ii is moi yet apparent