The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-02-09
"WHY MR.. TAFT"

The Greenwood journal is uSually
right. 1t is sometimes wrong, as we
see things. We think it takes too
narrow a view of the matter of ap-
pointing a man to the Supreme Court
of the United States in its editorial
under the above title. The Journal
says:
"a good deal has been said about
President Wilson appointing Mr..
Taft to fill the vacancy on the Su-
preme. Court, and even after it has
been filled there are murmurings
of discomfort over the appointment.
W. know nothing whatever about
the qualifications of the man chosen
by President Wilson, but we wish to
ask the question, Why should Mr..
Taft receive the appointment? Is
this not a Democratic administra-
ton, and are there not men who are
members of the party who are capa-
BILE of filling this or any other posi-
ton that needs to be filled?
1t will be time enough to let down
the gap when the Republicans get in
the field. A mighty good way to let
them in is to ignore Democrats in
making appointments. If we are not
mistaken this was one of the
blunders that Grover Cleveland
made"
In the first place we would suggest
that while this is a Democratic adj
ministrataon, there is as much differ
ence betseen a New England Demo-
crat ant a Southern Democrat as
there is between the latter and a
Western Republican. We have an
abiding belief that the trials and bur-
dens o. me people of this section are
more appreciated by the people of
the West, regardless of parties, than
by the people of New England. We
know that Mr.. Taft, as President of
the United States was more than
kind to the people of the South, re-
spected their feelings, or prejudices,
as a New Highlander would say.
But a Justice of the Supreme
Court should be neither a Democrat
nor a Republican. He should be a
big American citizen first, and a law
yer of undoubted ability and good
judgment in the second place.
We do not say that a Judge should
not have opinions on political issues,
but we do say that he should keep
them to himself. His business is to
construe and declare the law for all
the people of the land, to construe
the constitution and laws of the
country. His opinions will command
little respect if they are tinctured
with politics, and if the appointment
of the judges is to be governed by
the election returns.
Mr.. Taft was the Republican nomi-
nee for President, and he was elect
ed President by that party. He
failed of reelection because he re-
fused to be a partisan. He en-
deavored to be the President of the
whole United States on his ac-
count, and as a consequence he was
defeated. In his appointments to
Office, especially of Judges, he forgot
party lines, and sought the right man.
To say nothing of his appointment
of a Democrat as Chief Justice of
the highest court in the land, and
of his appointment of Justice Lamar,
and to come nearer home, we would
remind the Journal that he passed by
as good a man and lawyer as B. A.
Hagood, a Republican, and as good
a mar and lawyer as Ernest F. Coch-
ran, a Republican, and appointed a
lawyer, who happened to be a Demo-
crat, as Judge of the District Court
of the Eastern District, because he
believed the appointee was the best
mar in the state for the position.
His appointments to the Bench
were non-partisan, as they should
have been, for after all the Bench is
the last bulwark of the rich man
against c~onfiscation, and the only
guarantee of freedom to the poor.
When his full measure shall have
been taken, in the light of his ap-
pointments of men to the Bench, he
will be recognized as a man too big
to be President of the United States,
but fitted to be the head Of the
Court to which he appointed the best
man in his opinion, though the ap-
pointee happened to be a former
Confederate soldier and a former
Democrat.