Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-05-08

dent Wilson urged by letter TO act i'm
mediately on his nomination Of Louis
! d. Brandeis as associate supreme court
! justice, was preparing TO ballot today
| two senators objected and as a result
1 the action was postponed.
| Who the objecting senators were,
members of the committee would not
say. 1t was understood that Senator
Shields, who attended the Judiciary
meeting for the first time in months,
was the chief objeetU,.
| President Wilson s letter, it was
learned, was received with resentment.
| When the meeting broke up, friends of
Brandeis had failed even in getting an
/ agreement to vote on his nomination at
definite date.
The presidents s letter was in reply
I to Senator Culberson's note asking for
the "reasons which actuated the presi-
dent in making the nomination. The
letter was addressed to CulbersOn and
said:
The. Letter in Full.
"My dear senator: / am much OBJ
hged to you for giving me the oppor-
tunity to make clear to the senate judi
ciary committee my reasons for nOmi-
mating Louis d. Brandeis as associate
Justice of the United States supreme
court. 1 am profoundly interested in
his confirmation by the senate.
"There is probably no more impor-
tant duty imposed upon the president in
connection with the general administfa-
tion Of the government than that of
naming members of the supreme court
and need hardly tell you that / named
Louis d. Brandeis as a MEMBER of that
tribunal only because | know that he is
singularly qualified by his learning
gifts and character for that position.
Many charges have been made
against Mr.. Brandeis but the report of
your subcommittee has already made
plain to you and to the cOuntrv at large
how unfounded these charges were.
They threw gpeat deal more light up
on the character and motive of those
who originated the charges than upon
the qualifications of Brandeis. / my'
self looked into them three years ago
when desired to make Brandeis a cab
met member and found they proceeded
mostly from those who hated Brandeis
because he refused to be servieeable to
them for the promotion Of their selfish
interests, and from those who had been
preiudiced and misled. The propaganda
4 in this matter has been most eXtraordi-
4 nary and most distressing to those who
! love fairness and value the dignity OF
great profession.
A Lover of Right.
''I perceived from the first that the
charges were intrinsicaIy incredible to
g anyone who had really known Brandels
! have known and tested him by seek.
4 ing advice upon some of the most diff
4 ficult and perplexing questions about
I which it has been necessary for me tc
form judgment ] have dealt with hin
3 in matters where nice questions of hon
n or and fair play as well as large ques
tions of justice and the public benefit
4 were involved.
"In every matter in which l have
made this test Of his judgment ant
viewpoint I have received from him
counsel singuarly enlghtening, singu
larly sighted and judicial and above all
n full of moral stimulation.
"He is friend Of all just men, low
err Of right, he knows more than how t
talk about right, he knows how to sal
forward in the face of his enemies.
knew from direct, personal knowledge
of the man what / was doing when
named him for the highest and mos
responsible tribunal in the nation.
"Of his extraordinary ability as {
lawyer no man who is competent t.
Judge can speak with anything but thu
n highest admiration. You win remembe
that in the opinion Of the late Chic
Justice Fuller, he was the ablest MAJ
that ever appeared before the United
States supreme court.
Absolutely Fearless.
d" He is also,' Fuller added, abso
lutely fearless in the discharge Of hi
duties
"Those who have resorted to him 70
assistance in settling great industria
disputes can testify to his fairness ant
z love of Justice In troublesome contro
versies between the garment worker
and manufacturers OF New York City
for example, he gave truly remarkabl
Y Hproof of his judicial temperament am
had what must have been great salts
faction in rendering decisions whic
both sides were willing to accept q
A disinterested and even handed
'Brandeis has rendered many no
table services to the city and state wit
which his professional life is identified
He successfully directed the campaig
u which resulted in cheaper gas for Bos
H ton. Chiefly by his guidance an
, through his efforts legislation was sc
= cured for Massachusetts authorizin
savings banks to issue insurance policic
in small sums at greatly reduced rate
"And gentlemen who tried thei
hardest to obtain control Of the Bosto
Elevated and subway lor 90 years ca
C testify to his ability as a people g at
> vocate when the public interest call
for an effective champion. He rend re
y those services without cOmpensaio
= and earned the gratitude Of every cit
u u zen Of the state and city which h
served
"a cit will hearten the friends Of tn
D community and public rights throughOu
=" the country to see such quality ul
:. nally recognized by his elevation TO tn
- supreme court. The whole country
~ aware Of his quality and is intereste
oo in his appointment.
w Relys on Own Judgment.
.o ~ did not not, in making the choic
~ ask or depend upon any endorsement
ns ~ "I acted upon my public knowiedg