The Late Justice Woods

Justíce Woods was buried at Newark, O., Tnesday, the lTth, and nearly every lawyer oí national prominence in the Democratie party is named as a possible successor, and there is no more certainty in the prophecies than there was at the time the president selected his cabinet nor when he lately chose the interstate commerce commissioners. No one, in fact, kuows except President Cleveland now any thing about who will be appointed, though the appointment may be made at any day, The position of attorney general has been oonBidered in times past a sort of stepping stone to the suprome court, and a number of presidents have attempted to make supreme oourt judges of their attorney generáis. President Grant nominated three ex attorney generáis f or the supreme court, and every one of them was rejected. His flrst nomication was E. Rockwood Hoar, of Massaohusetts, who was defeated chiefly through the opposiuon oL UonJLling and Edmunds, and also Williams of Oregon, who acquired the tltle of "Laudaulet" Williams from a gorgeous carriage which he drove while attorney general. Grant nominated .also Caleb Cushing, 'who had been attorney general under Pierce, and the senate also reiused to conflrm him. Edwin M. Stanton, another attorney genera), was nomiuated and conflrmed, but he died before he secured the appointment, and the only attorney generáis who havo ever sat upon the supremo court beneh were Roger B. Taney, who afterwards became chief justice, and Nathan Clifford, who was attorney general during the administration of Polk. Levi Lincoln, one of the most noted lawyers of Massachusetts, was offered a position on the supremo court bench, but deelined it, and John Quincy Adams also declined a similar offer in 1811. Four of the supreme judges are now ready for retirement. Chief Justice Waite, Judge Bradley, Judge Miller and Judge Field could leave the court room to-morrow. and they would receive $10,000 a year for the rest of their lives without doing a stroke of work. They, however, evidently prefer to keep their places than to letting others have them. Few judges in the history of the court have been retired, and there is only one supreme court justice on the retired list. This is Justice Btrong, a hale oíd man, who lives at Washington. Chief Justice Waite has already served thirteen years, Miller has served twenty-üve years, Judge Field, of California, has served twenty-four years, and Bradley sixteen years. Of the other judges Harían comes f rom Kentucky, and he has served about nine years. His age is 52 and he bids fair to live a long time. Stanley Matthews shows little gray in his beard and hair, but he is only 63 years oíd, and his term of service is about six years. Gray was commisBioned in 1881, and he is now about 60 years of age. Blatchford, of New York, is 67 years old, and he was commissioned in 1883. Nearly all of the supreme court judges of the past have died in office. Not ceunting the present court there have been thirty-four of them, and tbey have as a rule lived long and grown fut.