Three Oracles, Nine Priests
"What is the law?" is the recurrent question asked by a republican nation. With deliberate speed—though the summer holidays approach—with majestic instancy, nine remote men make answer in thousands of decisions, mostly technical and dull.
Ever and anon a case dustily tagged U. S. v. Jones & Co. is odorous of destiny. The Justices, sniffing the issue, settle deeper into their chairs, droop lower their traditionally half-closed eyelids, put more innocently their occasional question to distinguished counsel standing below the rail.
After each case has been publicly presented,...