Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-07-21
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WILL HUGHES
RESIGN TO BE
CHIEF JUSTICE

Washington, July 2D:-Should
Charles e. Hughes resign the gov
ernorship of New York to become
chief justice of the United States 1t
would prove that history, which re-
peas itself. also reverses itself, for
United States, resigned that honor
able job in order to accept the gov
ernorship Of New York. That was
back in 1875.
While the talk of Hughes in con
n%ection- with the appointment Is
mostly favorable, there is also some
opposition. One objection TO
Hughes is based on the claim that he
lack experience in the scupreme
court, having tried only one case be-
fore that great tribunal. His
friends, however, point out that this
should not bar him from considera-
ton in view of the fact that Chief
Justice Marshall, whose decisions
gave life to the Constitution, had
tried only one case in the court be-
fore he was chosen as its presiding
Judge,
When President Taft names the
new chief justice he will create a
world figure. The position will con-
fer that distinction on the man even
though he be not renowned for his
own talents. The appointment will
place him at the head of one of the
three coordinate branches of the
government, a station more exalted
In the minds of many men than the
presidency.
The term of office will be subject
to the pleasure of the chief justice.
He may retire at the age of seventy
years or continue in the service I'M
til death. Whether active or re-
tired, he will receive full salary,
which, under existing law, is $4,000
a year.
A duty prescribed for the chief
justice, aside from those pertaining
to the court, is that he shall preside
at the impeachment of a president.
That experience came to Chief JUS
tice Morrison r. Waite, who was
| called upon to preside at the i'm
parchment of Andrew Johnson.
A salute Of seventeen guns Is &C
corded to him by the military regu-
lations.
He is a central figure every four
years when, in the presence of count
less thousands of his countrymen,
he administers the oath to the in
coming president of the United
States. His presence there helps to
dignity the inauguration ceremony
but 1t Is not essential. An oath ia
ken by the President before a no
tary public would be just as binding.
Honors come to him In many
ways. He Is chosen to arbitrate con
troversies between nations and to as
sist in the negotiation Of treaties,
Great institutions feel honored by
his patronage.
The oath subscribed to by a chief
justice of the United States at his
installation is as follows:
II do solemnly wear that l will
administer justice without respect tC
persons, and do equal right to the
poor and to the rich, and that I will
faithfully and impartially discharge
and perform all the duties incum.
bent on me as chief justice of the
United States according to the best
of my abilities and understanding
agreeably to the Constitution ant
laws of the United States, so helI
me God"
1t is an interesting coincidence
that several Of the chief justices
have entered upon their duties a
times when new questions of thu
gravest Importance confronted th'
country. In the time of Marshall
who became chief justice IN 1901
the great problem was the construc
ton of the Constitution, and his de
cisions shaped the course Of the re
public. 1t developed upon Marshal
to place in effect the intentions o
those who made the Constitution
Some of the men who assisted In the
construction of that great instru
ment differed with the judge as tt
what the intention of the construct
ors had been but it was Marshall''
opinion that counted.
1t was Marshall who first asserted
the right of the supreme court t.
declare invalid acts of congress that
In the opinion of the court, were II
| conflict with the Constitution. He
created the American system of ju-
! risprudence and assured the perma.
nency of a government that until his
time was an experiment.
Roger B. fancy, of Maryland, be
came chief justice in 1885, a time
when the country vas about to expe-
rience q wonderful development.
Railroads had begun to succeed wag-
ON transportation, coal mines were
being developed on a large scale and
MI -ro.Io nf I'm nnrfnnpa W0rn
placed under way. Aside from new
questions arising in connection with
those matters, however, fancy had
to deal with the t%roublous matters
that preceded the civil war. He
was the author of the bred Scott de-
cision which became a burning is-