Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-12-28
SAYS Butler
IS UNFIT FOR
j. 5. COURT
Written specially for the Wood Coun-
ty Reporter by Edward Percy Howard
Autocaster Service

w IIIUtl Specially LUZ tn0 w OOU COu1l-
ty Reporter by Edward Percy Howard
Autocaster Service
Washington, D. C.-Two days of
intimate conversation with men who
shape the nations destinies in Wash
ington discloses that the nti-Harding
forces are jubilant over the nomina-
ton of Pierce Butler, of St. Paul, as
Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States. They
regard the nomination as the supreme
blunder of the Harding administra-
ton.
The appointment of Attorney Gen
eral Daugherty aroused a good deal
of discomfort. Those who quietly OPP
posed Daugherty when he was named
today make no ado about openly char
ging that Harding is saddled with an
administrations wrecker in Dauetherty,
just as Taft was with Ballinger, The
'1-told-you-so's" have found a certain
pleasure IN the warfare on the At
torney-General which has ended in
his open arraignment, but this is as
nothing compared to their attitude in
relation to the Supreme Court.
The anti-Harding men have looked
some time for an avenue of open and
excusable attack on the activities of
the President. Now they feel they
have found it in principle and per-
sonality' rather than governmental
party policy which, of course, they
feel impelled to safeguard.
Buffers nomination caused a furore
in both House and Senate. At first
it aroused indignation, but as the an
ti-Harding men began to exchange
views, irritation changed to elation
until the opposition to the nomination
crystallized into what the progressive
bloc regards as an opportunity.
Then, on top of this, came the re-
port, not uncontradicted, that the
much defeated Governor of the State
of New York, Nathan L. Miller, also
IS being seriously considered for the
Supreme Court. When the rocket was
fired every anti-harding man felt like
a poker player who has just drawn his
fourth ace
Openly the opposition to Butler is
being led by Senator-elect Shipstead
of Minnesota, who frankly says his
constituents promise to produce am
pie evidence to show that Butler is not
qualified to sit on the Supreme bench.
Appearing before Senators Nelson,
Cummins and Walsh of Montana,
Shipstead presented letter in which
it was stated that "any attempt at
this time to place ON the Supreme
Court Bench man biased in favor
of corporate interests will arouse bit
ter resentment and criticism"
1t is openly charged that Butler has
been corporation lawyer so many
years and has so frequently fought to
obtain special privileges for large cor
porations that he would be unable "as
a member of the Supreme Court to
act with an unbiased mind, that he
would in his decisions necessarily and
inevitably be Influenced by his past
interests and associations.
Shipstead contends that the ap-
pointment Of Judge Gary of the Unit
ed States Steel Corporation would not
be more uniting than the naming of
Butler.
When asked for specific instances
of corporate activity on the part of
Butler, Shipstead referred to a report
prepared by Delos F. Wilcox, a New
York accountant, based on an exam
nation of the Twin City Rapid Tran
sit Company. This company, Ship
stead said, with Butler acting as it
attorney, used every artifce and tech
nicality to prevent examination of its
books by the municipal authorities.
Asked as to the disclosures in the
Wilcox report, Shipstead said it
showed yellow dog fund" totalling
several hundred thousand dollars from
which money was paid to various
public officials and men of great po-
litical influence during the period
when the corporation was seeking spe-
ciaI favors from the Legislature or
the City Council.
This is not the sum total of the
alleged unftness of Butler for the Su-