The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-10-17
John RANDOLPH
UNIQUE FIGURE
CONTINUED from page eleven.)

vas a CIIOHFC N1CllI1 OF III HCdtLH
from the cradle to the grave. So,
from this fact, allowance must be
made for his eccentricities and pecul-
~iarities. During the first six years of
Jefferson's administration, while
Randolph was chairman Of
Means, he consulted him often
on public questions hat would
come before Congress. AS soon as
Randolph reached Washington at the
beginning of Congress, he always
found a card at his hotel from JEFF
ferson inviting him to dinner the
next day. Jefferson had confidence
in Randolph's sagacity and to him he
carefully communicated his plans be-
fore they We're given to the public.
Mr.. Benton says he was the 'Murat
Of his party, brilliant in the charge
and always ready for it, and valued
in the council as we'll as in the
field" He was a political meteor
blazing with undimmed splendor
athwart the political sky. and if he
had possessed the w~ell-poised char
acter Of Washington he might have
been the pure and brilliant planet
beneath whose grateful beams the
mariner directs his bark. and the
shepherd tends his flocks." Mr.. Ad-
ans, seeing that q revolution was go
ing on and that his party would be
hurled from power at the election Of
1900, instituted a series of measures
to rivet the hold Of the F~ederalists
upon the judiciary and to strengthen
the influence of the national at the
expense of the State courts. by reduc-
ing to five the judges on the Supreme
Court bench and increasing the dis
trlct Judges to tWenty-three, thus Gre
ating as MANY new judges, which
We're filled by Federalists and appoint
ing Marshall. the ablest Of the Vir-
ginian Federalists, Chief Justice. So
That when Jefferson succeeded to the
Presidency, the whole Judicial De-
parunent was in the hands Of the
Federalists, who with Marshall as
Chief Justice could thwart any re-
forms that might be proposed by the
Executive and Legislative Depart
ments. Mr.. Jefferson was furious at
this vancouver Of the F~ederaiists, n
ne never alluded to what he called
the midnight appointments without
a display Of temper. On January 4th,
1902, Randolph moved for an inquiry
INTO the condition of the Judiciary es-
tablishane Soon after Randolph's
motion a bill came from the Senate
TO repeal the judiciary act OF 1900.
The Federalists declared that this bill
would destroy the independence OF
the judiciary and predicted the dlrest
consequences, one Of the orators say
ing: We are standing on the brink
OF that revolutionary torrent which
"'loSeu III DlOOO one OIL lHc idi1 CO..
countries in Europe" These extreme
measures aimed at the Federal courts
We're in harmony with h hot, fiery
temper Of Randolph. who sneered at
ohem and called them a Judicial
aristocracy' and an hospital for de-
Iayed politicians" The judiciary bHi
was passed, but the Federal courts
ever since have declared laws passed
DIV Congress unconstitutional and thus
oefeat the will and urpose or the
other two departments Of the Govern
n!ent, thus destroying their
ny, and making them subordinate TO
the Supreme Court.
So really nothing was accomplished.
randolph QuarreIed with Jefferson,
Madison and Monroe, opposed the
war with England in 1912. voted with
the Federalists, returned to his dis
trlct with these heavy weights upon
hlm and in 1913 was defeated Tor
Congress by John w. Eppes and was
denounced by the Richmond inquire
as a nuisance and a curse" The con-
ciusion of the war in 1915 produced
d curious revolution In the political
world. Everything was forgotten and
an era Of good feeling began which
continued till the close OF Mr.. Mon
roe's administration in 1925. In 1912
Randolph recovered his old seat In
Congress and came back to a ne"