The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-02-07
FOUR FORMER
JUDGES ARE ON
SUPREME BENCH
Judicial Experience Not Ne
ceSsarv for Service on
Supreme Bench
PICK LUMINARIES
Increasing Tendency to Pick
Men Prominent in Politics,
As Stone
BY HARRY Il. HUNT
NEA Service Writer

Washington, Feb. 7.-Judiclal eX-
rerience, contrary to general opinion,
is not prerequisite to service on
the Supreme Court of the United
States
A majority of the judges now serv
ing on the Supreme Court, in fact,
never sat behind the bar until they
donned the robes Of associate JUS
tees on the nations highest tribun-
al
This practice Of picking men with
out former judicial experience has
increased in recent years.
Whereas 10 years ago all but one
of the members Of the court had
seen previous service on subordinate
benches, today only four of the nine
won their appointments by way of
promotion.
OF the last seven appointments to
the court, five were of men who had
never before qualified for the title
CT Judge. s,ts.
This increasing tendency to pick
for the highest court legal luminaries
who have made their records off the
bench is emphasized by the appoint
ment of Harlan +. Stone to fill the
seat vacated by former Justice Nc
Kenna.
Stones appointment turns the ma
jority on the court to the side Of the
lay lawyers. making the fifth menu
Der who jumped from pleader to as
sociate justice, as against four men,
bers who worked their way up
through lower courts.
Others in this group, who first
donned judicial robes as members
Of the highest court, are Mercy
nolds, Brandeis, Sutherland and But
Ter.
The four who served time on
lower courts and reached the Su-
preme Court by way of judicial pro-
motion are Chief Justice Taft and
Associate Justice Holmes, Van De-
vanter and Sanford.
Whatever else may be the result
Of Stones appointment, one thing
seems sure. He will bring new vi
up
Stone is still famous at Amherst
as the most stalwart center rush
in that colleges football history.
Unlike Chief Justice Taft, who
has bulk without muscular force
Stone has bulk plus muscle. His
broad shoulders and barrel-like chest
aren't padded with fat. As he walks
he swings along in loose, power
full stride like an aMiable mastodon
There seems to be no effort be-
hind the stride, but-try to STOP
him. His mere physical momentum
is terrific.
There always seems to be some
senator who keeps diary. In the
present Senate it is Henry Ashurst
Of Arizona. Some day Ashurst's
daily chronicles of the doings in the
upper house may fill in many miss
ing links in the chain of history
Back in the first Senate, unde1
President Washington, William Nc
clay of Pennsylvania wrote his daily
dozen lines to record interesting
phases of official life.
Since the season of official din
ners is now on in Washington. i
may be. interesting to note wha
Maclay wrote in his diary about :;
presidential dinner in Washington
day.
went to the presidents to din
ner," he wrote, under date of Aug
q, 1889. The president and Mrs
Washington sat opposite to each 9th
er in the middle of the table; the tw
secretaries. one at each end
was great dinner, and the hes
of the kind l was ever at. TIL
room, however, was disagreeabl
warm.
First was the soup; fish roaste
and boiled: meats. CANNON. fowl!
etc. This was the dinner. The mid
die of the table was garnished in
tasty way with small images, flower!