The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-21

candidate for Congress, and, though de-
feated, he received a majority of 200 in
Toledo. In December, 1871, he was an
pointed as Commissioner to Geneva, which
position he filled with honor He is now
serving as member anc. the President of
the Ohio Constitutional Convention. to
which he was chosen by the unanimous
vote of both parties. The present appoint
ment, ike all other public honors, has
come to him without the slightest seeking
on his part, he having discouraged his pers-
onal friends from efforts to secure the place
for him, His neighbors feel every assur-
unce that In this, as in every other trust,
he will abundantly justify the confidence
regosed in him.
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.
From the Chicago Times :-''Mr. Grant s
third choice of candidate to fill the vacant
seat on the supreme bench is no better
than his first He has chosen a pigmy to
| fill giants shoes Morrison r. Waite, Of
! Ohio, is a man OF mediocre ability as an
advocate, of no experience as a jurist, and
as unfit for the Supreme bench, as Mr.
Grant is to preside over the kingdom Of hea-
ven. Is the nation so devoid of men ola judi
cal mind as to nee estate the selection by
Mr. Grant Of such men as Williams, Cush-
ing and " ate for the chief justiceship? Are
such men as j. Edwards Pierrepont, Ben
jamin r. Curtis, Judges Drummond, Dill
| lon, Davis and a score Of others Of ac-
knowledged purity Of character, high legal
and judicial requirements and fitness, not
more fitting eXpounders of the law than a
man like Waite, whose only reputation in
public life was acquired as a subordinate
advocate before the Geneva tribunal? ? Yer
| lily, the shades of Jay, and Marshall, and
| fancy. and Chase, may arise to protest
against a proclamation of their venerated
seat by a man SO utterly incapable offilling
it acceptably."
From the Chicago Tribune: "All that is
said OF Morrison r. Waite, the President S
third nomination for Chief-Justice, is 50
far to mis- credit. He comes of illustrious
| judicial parentage, his father having been
| Chief Justice of Connecticut, and one of
most eminent iurists of New England. He
is a graduate of Yale, and is 5S years of
age His assidious devotion to the prac-
tice Of law has prevented him from achiev
ing cheap popularity, but placed him
at the head of the Bar of Northwestern
Ohio He has commanded respectful pub
lie attention in the last two years for his
services at Geneva as counsel for the Uni
ted States, and at Columbus, Ohio, as
President OF the Constitutional Convention,
over which he was presiding when he and
the country were surprised by his nOmlna-
ton. 1t is singular that his nomination
for the Chief-J usticeship Of the Supreme
Court should come just year to day at
ter his admission to practice in that Court
He has been a Republican since the or
ganization Of that party. Before that time
he was Henry Clay Wing"
From the Chicago Journal: He is one
of the ablest and safest lawyers and jurists
in the West
From the Cincinnati C0n,naercidl Il
; is. from every point of view, a respectable
nomination, one that will be widely indors
ed by the bar, and satisfy the desires o
the people.
From the Cincinnati Inquirer. ''Thougl
Mr.. Waite's name is not the most shining
among the jurists Of the United States, hi
nomination will settle the vexed question
, of the Chief Justiceship more satisfactoril
to the public then we have dared to ex
pect.
From the Cincinnati Gazette: 9Th
nomination is not only unexceptionable il
every way, but is an admirable one, ant
there can be no reason to doubt its promp
confirmation
From the St Louis RepubJcan: ''Th
naming of Judge Waite for the positio
referred to will probably strike the coun
try in the way Of a surprise. We have n
disposition to belittle him, nor to find faul
with the executive. At present, it mus
be confessed, there are not sufficient dat
upon which to form permanent judgmer
as to the propriety Of the selection 1t
supposed he owes his nomination to the il
I fluence of Mr. Eyarts, of New York, wit
whom he served as a Geneva arbitrator.
From the n Y Sun. Mr. Waite
we'll spoken of by those who are acquain
ed with him, but the fact that he is NJ
generally known to the country will rel
! der his nomination for Chief Justice les
sa isfactory than it might be otherwise
From the n Y. World: IF Presider
Grants third selection for Chief Justic
!. had happened to be his first, the appoin
/ ment of Mr. Waite would have been r.
d ceived with wonder by the country an
with disappointment and regret by tn;
k portion of the bar who ever had any pra
tice M in the Supreme Court" I'VE have,
it says, mo doubt that Mr. Waite posses
es very good negative qualities, but com,
to the conclusion that the eight Associa
Justices can decide every case as ably wit
F out Mr.. Waite as with HIM, and the Sena
&c would serve the country by keeping tt
office of Chief Justice vacant until we G
a President who has some appreciation
: the qualifications requisite for that gre
station.
From the n Y. Herald: s'No 9th
reason is apparent for the nomination
Mr.. Waite save that Grant is determine
to appoint the man whom he considers Il
best, and not the man whom the count
considers the best
From the n. Y. Tribune ''Of cour
Mr.. Waite is not the best man who cou
be named for the place, but there is
good reason why he should not be promT
ly confirmed To that great mass of st
ious people who believe in the principl
for which we went to war, aud who rega
it as the duty of the national legislature
fortify aud defend those principles by ST
ute, and the duty Of the Judiciary to ia
care that they no detriment throu
the hostile construction of the law or CC
stitution, the correct political antecedei
of MIR. Waite will seem far more impo
! ant than all the learning and brilliant at
,. tiles of General Cushing
From the n. Y. Times: The nomil
nH III Al Il IL