Milford chronicle., 1921-06-24
WILL NOT REAPPONNT
CHANCELLOR CURTIS
GOVERNOR SAYS HE WILL SEND-LIST OF
JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS TO SEN
ATE AS ORIGINALLY NAMED.
LEAVES MATTER TO SENATE
REPUDIATES ALL SUGGESTIONS OF PER-
SONAL OR PARTISAN INTERESTS
NHIS SELECTIONS.

was asked whether he had mace an
change in his appointments to, th
bench as originally announced by hin
His reply was:
Il have not"
When the Governors attention wa
called to the fact that it was rumore
the Senate might not confirm the al
pointment of United States Senate
Josiah o. Wolcott as Ch8cellOr an
asked whether he would then consit
sr the re-appointment of ChancellC
Curtis. The Governor replied:
"In view of all that has been
said and done, 1 could not now
re-appOint Chancellor Curtis in
any event"
The governor at the same tim
made the following formal statemeI
with respect to his appointments:
Made my selections for the
vacancies in the judiciary after a
most careful and conscientious
consideration. In this matter
consulted, directly and indirectly,
many of the prominent citizens of
this State, among them several
members of the bar. Every person
1 consulted, after careful consider
alton, agreed that my selections
were as good as could be made.
"It has been my firm belief that
the appointments to the bench
should in no sense be political
appointments. A man who is a
proper man to select for the
bench appreciates the high posi-
ton in which he has been placed,
and knows that it is his business
to decide the facts and law as
presented to him, regardless OF
former political affiliations.
81 can't believe that there are
many people in this State who are
so partisan as to think it impor-
tant whether the Chancellor of
this State be Republican or a
Democrat. A partisan judiciary
except in name, is thing of the
past. The most important thing
is to get men of personal char
acter and habits that are beyond
question, and men of judicial
temperament and proper legal
training.
Senator Wolcott and I have
been close friends from boyhOod.
1 believe him to be, and it is gen.
orally conceded that he is, one
of the best qualified men in the
State for Chancellor, and it
seemed to me exceedingly for
tunate that he accepted the posi-
ton when rendered it to him.
SenatOrship Not a Factor
'The fact that he is now a
United States Senator, and that
his acceptance of this place on
the bench would make it my duty
to appoint his successor in the
United States Senate for short
time has given an opportunity to
his political enemies, as well as
my own, to contend that there has
been something improper in what
has been done. So far as l am
aware, it is not of great impor-
tance whether Senator WOlcOtt,
who is a Democrat, is to be in the
United States Senate for the next
year, or whether some Republ1-
can shall occupy that place. In
deed, if there is any advantage
to the State at all, it seems to me
that it would be in having an
additional Republican Senator
there, instead of a Democrat. The
administration is Republican, and
it is but reasonable to expect that
a Republican Senator in Wash
ington could do more in his own
State just now than a Democratic
Senator could do.
No Personal Interest
"Some people are endeaVoring
to create the impression that Sen
atOr WolcOtt was offered the place
on the bench so that some partic-
ular friend of mine might be nam
ed by me to succeed him in the
United States Senate. Nothing
could be farther from thestruth
than this. If Senator WOlcOtt's
place should become vacant I
should consider the appointment ~
of his successor political ap-
pointment, and I should not think
of making such an important po-
litical appointment without get
ting a consensus of opinion from
the Republicans of this State as
to whom they desired me to ap-
point. I have not attempted to
get any such opinion, and, if
occurs, should take suf-
fcient time to let that judgment
of the Republican party crystal
lize.
Sought Best Men
"The object I had in view was
the naming of the best men for
the bench that I could find.
sought to combine youth with ex-
perience and thus bring forth the
greatest efficiency. Not word
has been said against the personal
of any of them, and
I believe it is admitted generally
hat all of them are competent
nen to fill these places.
Gas view it, the question for
he Senate to decide is whether
II not I have named men that are
it for the bench.
"I cannot permit myself to be
lrawn away from a perfectly plain
luty by adverse criticism, regard
ess of whether that criticism
ONES fro mthe Democratic party
r from the Republican party.
Because of criticism, which, to
~ mind, is absolutely unfair and
MUST, Senator Wolcott has been
Il to relieve me of the appoint
1ent which I rendered him, and
7hich he accepted. I appreciate
he spirit in which his letter was
Tritten, but it is simply a further
vidence to me that he is the man
Or the place.
"The Constitution imposes sole
? upon the executive the duty and
of selecting and ap-
Ointing the judiciary.