The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-02-03
WAITE.
HOW HE BECAME CHIEF JUsTIcE-THE CHAIN
OF CIRCUMSTANCES

WAITE.
HOW HE BECAME CHIEF JUSTIcE-THE CHAIN
ar OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
About the appointment of Chief Justice
Waite the Toledo Blade says: There is a
little secret history connected with this
which there can now be no impropriety in
revealing, and it dates back several years in
the political history of Ohio. When the
wing party was abandoned, its old leaders
in this stale naturally drifted into the repnb-
lican party. Ewing and Corwin were such
devoted wings that they never fairly and
fully became installed in the new organiza-
ton, but DeIano, Galloway, Ben Stanton,
Schenck, Goddard, Waite, Horton. and
many others less prominent, very heartily
entered the new Organization, though they
did not seek prominence, and, as Chase was
governor OF the state, he very naturally be-
came the prominent republican figure in
Ohio. The AMBITION OF Gov. Chase to
become president led him into the
error of calling about him as his c0nfiden-
tial advisers chiefly sucn men as had for
merly acted with the democratic party,
while at the same time he spared no pains to
cripple every prominent republican who had
been leading wing in the state. A bitter
warfare was the result, and Chase found
himself powerless to crush ont all of those
lar, and Delano made a strong contest for
the United States senatorship against Chase
before the legislature in the winter of 1859 so.
In the summer OF 1860 several of those old
wings turned up in the Chicago convention.
greatly against the wishes of Mr.. Chase and
it will be remembered that MIR. Dslano Sec
onded the nomination of Mr.. Lincoln in a
brief speech, which at once blasted the pros
poets of Chase and gave
GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT
To Mr.. Lincoln's friends. Practically,
that closed out Mr.. Chase in Ohio, and he
was never again before the people of this
state as a candidate for any position.
We regret to say that in this struggle the
Blade, which was then partially own
ed and editorially controlled by the
present editor of the Commercial oftbis city,
supported Chase, and probably was entitled
to the credit of defeating Mr.. Delano. Ew-
| ing, Corwin, Galloway, and Stanton, are
now dead. Schenck is minister in England,
and Delano is secretary of the interior. The
| latter, although not intimately acquainted
with Mr.. Waite, knew him TO be a man OF
eminent legal abilities, conscientious, and
worthy of any trust and position within the
| gift of the government. When the presi-
dent was looking about for suitable men to
serve as counSellors for the government at
GENEVA, secretary DelanO az once tnOugnl
of the man who had sympathized with
him in the fight against the Chase
dynasty, and named Mr.. Waite to the presi-
dent, who, having great confidence in the
! Judgment OF Mr.. D.. appointed Mr.. w. All
know the highly creditable manner in which
Mr.. Waite acquitted himself at Geneva
When the president had twice failed to ap-
point an acceptable person to the position o.
chief Justice. he consulted with his cabinet
officers upon the subject, and Secretary De-
lano again recommended his friend Waite
the president adopted the suggestion, and
the people of the whole country are to-day
exceedingly well pleased with the choice
| We have narrated these facts to show where
| the chain of circumstances originated which
led to the elevation of Mr.. Waite to the chic
justiceship. lr fa