New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-24

United states mas elevated TO that
49,, ofice man whose appointment has been
as.ented by the thinking public as an honor
.:san to one who is peculiarly we'll fitted by
ss.,,nerament, by learning, by experience and
~ his exceptionally logical judicial mind for
.ss task imposed upon him, and, incidentally,
NC also offered him the one politca! favor
uaved by him.
The most recent office occupied by Mr.. Taft
,vss the Presidency of the United States BY
his new commission he is advanced to be the
.ras;dng officer of body of nine men who
so,d the power of reversing the actions OF
hotb President and Congress-a body of men
chose decisions vitality effect the lives of
1000 900 persons.
While President, Mr.. Taft virtually recon
s.ructed the Supreme Court. During his ad-
m;nstration he appointed more justices than
any other President-with the single excep-
ZION of Washington. Justice White was pro-
noted to the Chief Justiceship, and, to fill
vacancies in the ranks of the court, Lurton,
Hughes, Van Devanter, Lamar and Pitney
we're assigned to act with McKenna appointed
BY Mckinley, and Holmes and Day appointed
BY Roosevelt. Mr.. Taft also has the distinc-
ton of being one of two men-Senator Knox
is the other-who refused the honor of being
amounted to the same bench as Associated
Justice.
Mr. Taft will adequately fill the place left
vacant by his predecessor, Chief Justice
White He has much the same measure of
judicial reasoning; much the same sense Of
ustice-justice as described by Ruskin as
athe one divine work, the one ordered sacri-
fee" 800 justice and judgment. That's
your Bible ORDER" Ruskin says. Chats the
service of God The law of heaven is not to
be able to judge what is wise or easy-unless
you are first resolved to judge what is just
and to do it,
And this right of pure justice, arrived at
by the keenest method of sitting all the ma
terial at hand, "and the doing of it, has been
Mr. Taft's motto in every phase of his career,
whether as law reporter on the The Cincinnati
Times, Judge of the Superior Court of his
native city, Governor of the Philippines, dean
of the law department of Yale University or
President of the United States. To this new
field of endeavor he brings a deep understand
ing of and veneration for the law; a keen
appreciation of his high calling and humble
opinion of his own worth; he is judge who
not only knows the law, but has the insight of
jurist of the highest order. If, as it has
been often claimed, all that the United States
has become in vigor, activity and benefcence
has been due to its Constitution, what has
made this Constitution vital and energetic
must be ascribed to the wise and comprehen-
sive work of the Supreme Court. Notwith-
Standing the fine skill in drawing the prov-
sions of the Constitution assigning a leading
part of the work of the government to the
Federal judiciary, strong and fearless Su-
preme Court is needed to put into operation
that judiciary as the balance wheel of the in
tricate system.
In his new character Mr.. Taft will be given
the opportunity of setting his stamp perma-
nenty upon American national life. His will
be the ideal life-the ideal life of one who
loves work and who possesses great powers
and appreciates grave responsibilities
powers and responsibilities that may be exer-
cised without fear or favor or hope for reward
The Supreme Court is celebrating it's CEN
tenary of 'the high bench" Originally the
justices sat behind a long bench on the floor
OF the court-on level with the lawyers who
tried their cases before them. This straight
desk had set into it snuff box opposite each
Justices seat. Henry Clay arguing case
before the court. During pause in his argu-
ment of the justices reached forward,
took pinch of snuff and settled back to weigh
the more carefully the reasoning presented.
In his next pause Mr.. Clay reached over and
with a "Thank you" took pinch himself. The
court was indignant. That afternoon they met
to decide what could be done to preclude the
possibility of a second breach of the "etiquette
Of the court and decided to have bench
made of such height that no mere practitioner
could reach their pet snuff. Since then they
have sat behind the high bench that is in use
to-day.
Louis XIV, the unregenerate grandson Of
Louis XIV, had the distinction of being the last
OF the French monarchs who had held the
double chair Of chief justice and chief ruler.
Louis boosted of being the best cook in his
realm, and added: II can cook and can rule,
and l can Judge as no other living judge,
which he proceeded to do. He did cook, he did
rule and he did pass judgment-all equally
BADLY. The parliament, emboldened by their
success in the matter of the celebrated case of
'ame de Pompadour and the Jesuits, endeav-
ofed to push their success to victory, but the
Aing aroused by the thought of loss of power,
assumed mere than his ordinary authority and