Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-18
TAFT WILL Be BUSY
Many Matters to Occupy Time
in Next Few Weeks.
MUST CHOOSE JUSTICES
Supreme Court Vacancies Causing
President Much Worry.
BEST LEGAL TALENT SOUGHT
Justice Swayze of New Jersey May
Get Place-Gathering Data
for Message.
MUST CHOOSE JUSTICES
BEST LEGAL TALENT SOUGHT

between the arrival of President Taft
In Washington Thursday morning and
the assembling Of Congress early in De-
cember, the chief executive will have
some exceedingly important work to do.
Chief In Importance will be these:
Selection Of chief justice and an asso-
ciate Justice Of the United States Su-
preme Court
Selection of five justices of the COM
MERGE court. ranking with circuit judges
Of the United States.
Writing OF the annual message to Con-
gress.
Tip to Panama to inspect the progress
Of the work on the canal, not only for
personal information, but that he may
have material for recommendations to
Congress.
The Supreme Court and the commerce
court appointments will not be made until
Congress assemblies. The President would
not announce such important judicial
selections until Congress is ready to pass
upon them. and 1t is doubtful II any
lawyer of standing would accept one OF
these places and attempt to enter upon
the work until Congress had first con-
frmed the nomination.
Worried About Vacancies.
The two Supreme Court vacancies have
been giving the President anxiety for
some months. He regards the duty of
filling these places as very important
For that reason he seeks all available
information and light regarding the men
he has in mind for nomination to the
Senate He does not permit politics to
enter into the matter to any appreciate
extent. as was shown in his nomination
of Associate Justice Lurton. Neither Will
he permit geographical other consider
atoms to stand in the way Of putting on
the bench the greatest legal talent to be
found in the country.
The President has been giving the Su-
preme Court vacancies much attention
for months. and 1t Is a fair presumption
that he will balance the whole thing IN
til within few days OF the meeting OF
The belief is that the President will
name Associate Justice Swayze OF the
New Jersey state supreme court for as
sociate justice of the Supreme Court IL
he does not do this he probably win Sc
lect a western man from the eighth CIR
cult Secretary Nagel Is from this cir
cuff and is being favorably considered
by the President
Root Being Considered.
For Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court three names are now mentioned.
Associate Justice Harlan is under con-
sideration for this high honor. al
though there Is no instance in history
where an associate Justice has been
promoted to Chief Justice. Former
Gov Hughes. who recently took the
oath Of Office as associate justice OF
PRESIDENT. The third man is Elihu
Root. who spent five hours with the
President at Beverly a few days ago.,
There is strong tip that Elihu Root
may be the man to go to the head OF
the court
The fact that he IS from New York
would not stand in the way of the
nomination Former President Roose-
Associate Justice Oliver w. Holmes and
William H Moody, who recently retir-
ed from the bench President Taft
would. it is believed. be delighted to
Chief Justice.
On the commerce court appointments
the President IS proceeding with al
most as much care as with the Supreme
Court places. He Is trying to find the
very best material and to apportion
that material geographically and polit-
ically.
Going Home to Vote.
AS to his annual message the Presi-
dent has been gathering a fund Of
facts regarding the various questions
he will discuss. and especially relating
to governmental and departmental at
fairs. The President has not hereto
fore been able to complete his message
untn Congress was ready to receive It,
and this years document may be no
exception.
The President goes TO Cincinnati to
vote November z, and wfllleave for Pan
anna almost Immediately upon his re-
turn to this city. On his return from
Panama he viii have about two weeks
before Congress- assemblies To 1af his
message together. With the work he
may have done upon It before going to
Panama. he will probably be ready to
put 1t into the hands OF the printer
some days in advance Of the meeting
OF the lawmakers.