The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-05-25
SUTHERLAND
IS QUALIFIED
FOR JUSTICE
Utah Lawyer Sure To Go on
Bench if Taft Is Not Chosen
Hughes Choice Unlikely
To Retain Secretaryship.
BACK EX-PRESIDEkT
BY MARK SULLIVAN

WASHINGTON, D. c., May 25.-For
ated by the death of Chief Justice
White, the only names that figure in
the current surmises of Washington
are ex-president Taft, Secretary of
State Hughes. and ex-senator George
Sutherland, of Utah.
The speculation about Mr.. Hughes
is not well founded. 1t is recognized
that there are obvious reasons why
Mr.. Hughes should not be lifted out
Of one of the three most important
positions in the United States within
IL weeks of the time he entered it,
and so the surmises that center
around him are accompanied by the
qualification that the court soon will
that Hughes would not need to leave
the office of Secretary of State until
September.
But Mr.. Hughes will be as indispen-
sable to the state department in Sep
tember as he is in May. The respon-
sibilities of the job Mr.. Hughes has
taken hold of are complex beyond the
realization of any except those who
are close to them 1t is sufficient to
say that there is not the faintest prob
ability that President Harding would
be willing to lose his present secre-
tary of state either in May or in
September.
Recommend Taft
AS to the other two, it still remains
as true as it has always since Mr..
Harding was elected tHe.at ex-president
Taft is the man most strongly recon-
mended to him in the event of what
was then a potential and is now an
actual vacancy in the office of chief
justice of the supreme court.
1t is true that since the death of
Chief Justice White made the matter
immediate, some objections to Mr..
Taft have been put forward, not in
the presence of President Harding,
but in the informal talk that such a
situation always gives rise to. 1t is
pointed out that ex-President Taft is
81 years, old, and that Mr.. Taft him
self when president took the ground
that it is inadvisable to add any man
to the supreme court who Is over 60.
Raise Objections.
1t is also pointed out that the Sc
lection of ex-President Taft would
give the court three members from
Ohio: also that Mr.. Taft, although he
has had abundant experience as a
lawyer and judge, has been out of
practice for considerable period
Nevertheless. Mr.. Taft still remains
the man most strongly recommended
tor the vacancy. One of the factors
that recommends ex-President Taft
most highly is the wide public knowl-
edge of him.
The very fact Of this public knowl-
edge on the part of great numbers
of people who have seen and heard
him speak and shaken hands with him
would enable Mr.. Taft to contribute
to the court a degree Of familiar pub
lie confidence that another man might
lack through the mere accident OF
having had less public career.
Sutherland Eligible.
If Mr.. Taft should not be chosen.
then it can be taken for granted that
ex-senator Sutherland of Utah will
go on the bench. either as chief OF
IS associate. Also it can be taken
for granted that if Mr.. Sutherland is
not chosen for the present vacancy.
he will be chosen for the next that
may arise.
Mr.. Sutherland is a man of the
very highest character and ability.
For 10 years or more it has been the
habit of many lawyers to speak OF
Sutherland, Hughes and Root as the
country's three greatest lawyers in
active practice. Publicly, Mr.. Suther-
land is less we'll known than the
other two; but those who are IA
miliar with Sutherland's legal knowl-
edge. with the accuracy and justice
of his mind and with his personal
character. would welcome his eleva
ton to the bench with very great en-
thusiasm. IT may be added that the
group that feels this way about Mr..
Sutherland includes President Hard
ing.
Copyright 1911 by the New York Eve
ming Post. Inc)