The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-07-13
THE SOUTH'S RECORD
ON THE SUPREME BENCH
Spartanburg Journal.

Spartanburg journal.
Judge Long, said to be of 1.-The
Superior Court of North Carolina"
thinks that the next Chief Justice
of the United States Supreme Court
should be chosen from the Fourth
Federal Circuit which is composed
Of the five States of Virginia, West
Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina
aid South Carolina, and, preferably,
we assume, from the State of North
Carolin n a,-"CaroIina, Carolina,
Heavens blessings attend her."
At any rate, it is said by the New
York Times that Judge Long has
written letter to the two United
States Senators from North Caro-
lima urging them "get busy" and
capture the place for the Fourth
;ircuit, on the ground that serious
discrimination" has been practiced
against the people and lawyers and
special interests of this Circuit, "a
grave denial" as The Times puts it,
"of the equal right and power of
the people Of the Fourth Circuit ,
"There they are," says the Times,
it in; "There they are, ten
million of them, and with at least ten
thousand lawyers, yet subject to this
outrageous 'ostracism;' that these
FIVE great States are practically out
of the Union,' so far as concerns
representation on the highest judi
cial tribunal" "If this wrong con-
.inues," says The Times, "the North
Carolina Judge fears that soon 'our
in Congress will also
be denied u.s."
But what are the facts? 1t is clear
that this Tarheel jurist does not
know either the geography of his
country or the history of the United
States Supreme Court. 1t so happens
that the first Chief Justice Of that
Court was from South Carolina of
the neglected Fourth Circuit-John
1t is true that he did not
:arve as Chief Justice because of an
inirmity, but his appointment to the
office showed that the people and
lawyers of the Fourth Circuit were
not ostrac sed.
The second Chief Justice of the
.i;nited States Supreme Court. was
John Marshall, of Virginia, of the
Fourth Circuit, who served "a years,
and his successor was Roger B.
Taney, of Maryland, Of the Fourth
Circuit, and he served % years, so
that for sixty-two years the Chief
Justice Of the Supreme Court of the
United States was appointed from
the much ostracised and neglected
and despised Fourth Circuit. The
late Chief Justice White was "just
as fit," we think little filter, than
any Superior Judge in North Caro-
lima at this time, for the great Of
flee of Chief Justice, and he hailed
from Louisiana. So the facts would
seem TO show that from the organiza-
tion Of the Supreme Cuort, and COW
ering a period Of 73 years, or one
half the life of the Government, the
Chief Justice has been chosen from
the South and for sixty-two of these
years the Chief Justice has been
taken from the Fourth Circuit.
Since the organization of the
Court, South. Carolina, of the Fourth
Circuit, has had four Associate JUS
tice Supreme Bench by two Associate
Justices, whose combined service
covered a period of 80 years; North
Carolina, of the Fourth Circuit, has
had two Associate Justices whose
combined years of service covered
Id years, Virginia, of the Fourth
Circuit, has had four Associate JUS
tices on the Supreme Bench, whose
combined service covered period OF
81 years, and, in addition had the
Chief Justice Of the Court for 81
ears. Maryland, of the Fouxth Cir
::uit, has had four Associate Justices
whose combined service covered a
,eriod. of 43 years. In addition
Maryland, of the Fourth Circuit, had