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Show THE PLAN TO PACK THE COURT. Mr. Bryan Is quoted as saying that he considers the present year's campaign cam-paign moro ono for Supreme Court Justices than for President. That Is, he would havo It a campaign to pack tho Supreme Court with Democrats, and Democrats with Popullstic views. This necessarily contemplates a good many retirements from the bench and a material ma-terial change in the composition of tho court. Let us see what opportunities there may be during tho next four years for the carrying out of this programme. pro-gramme. Doubtless the idea Is based on tho probabilities arising from the advanced age of a number of the members of that court. Thus, Chief Justico Melville W. Fuller Is in his 72nd year, Justice John M. Harlan is nearlng tho end of his 7ist year; Justice David J. Brewer is approaching ap-proaching the close of his 67lh year; Justice Henry B. Brown is just past his GSth year; Justice Edward D. White is well past his oSth birthday; Justice Ru-fus Ru-fus W. Peckham is half way along his 6Cth year; Justico Joseph McKenna is past the half of his COth year; Justico Oliver W. Holmes is past his G3rd year; wliile Justico William TL Day, the youngest of the Justices, is just past his 55th anniversary. Mr. Bryan's idea is doubtless that some of tho older Justices may be disabled dis-abled before 1909, and that their successors suc-cessors cart be jiamcd Jay. a Democratic President should he be elected this fall. It is rather a ghoulish speculation on I1I3 part, but thcro la much possibility In it, and ho can no doubt draw some speculallvo comfort out of it. But back of nnd asido from tho ghoul-ishnosa ghoul-ishnosa of it, Js tho even moro reprehensible repre-hensible idea that it is proper to pack the Supremo Court with partisans, and with a view to obtain certain trust, anti-lmperlallsllc, and other decisions, which would bo in lino with the Democratic Demo-cratic notions. And that is a programme which tho American people, without regard re-gard to party, will never support. |