Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1882 — THE SUPREME BENCH. [ARTICLE]

THE SUPREME BENCH.

The Nomination of Conklin* Cause* a Sensation at the National Capital* A Washington dispatch of Feb. 24 says: The sensation at the capital to-day was the nomination of ex-Senator Coukling, of New York, to fill the vacancy on the Supreme bench caused by the retirement of Mr. Justice Hunt When the intelligence was iirst circulated few persons would believe it, but wended their way to the office of the Secretary of the Senate for ocular proof, by examination of the manifold copy of the list of nominations. Generally, when the Vice President receives the list from the President’s Private Secretary, one or two Senators will take interest enough in the document to superintend its removal from the envelope, and to-day formed no exception to this rule. As the first name on the list met the eve of the presiding officer, he elevated his eyebrows considerably and took a second look as if to reassure himself that it was not an optical delusion. The news spread like wildfire, and from the conversation of the groups of Senators the spectators in the galleries rightly inferred that something unusual was transpiring below on the floor. The sheet of manifold was suddenly in great demand, and the grave Solons swarmed around the table of the presiding officer with the same eagerness depicted on their faces that a troop of school boys would exhibit when the prize roll is opened for the first time. When it was also learned that ex-Senator Sargent had been selected for the vacant mission at Berlin, instead of, as had been believed by his friends, the portfolio of the Interior Department, the astonishment add comment was increased. It was tde general verdict that, notwithstanding all rumors to the contrary, the President was oapable of keeping his own counsel, and had a shell suddenly exploded in the Senate chamber it could not have oreatod more exoitement or coufnsion.

Advices from Utica state that Mr. Gonkling declines to say anything upon the question of acoepting the Supreme Court Justiceship. It is believed in New York by many of the leading lawyers that he will decline the office. Gentlemen who know something of his business engagements sav that he has been retained upon cases enough to employ him busily for a year, and upon which an income of at least f 100.000 is assured. So urgent are his engagements that he is reported to have reoentlv declined to go to St. Louis to argue a railroad case for whloh the extraordinary fee of $2,000 a day had been offered him.