The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-08-23
SENATOR HOWE AND THE CHIEF
JUSTICESHIP.
From the State Journal.


In this letter to the editor of the Vas
consin, published some weeks ago,
Senator Howe, in showing that his course
in public life has been governed, not
by the promptings of mere personal in
terest, but by regard for the general
interests of the country and party which
he represents, wrote: ''Rather than
surrender the seat I hold in the SEN
ate to a Democrat, [ have already tram
pied on the only real ambition I ever
had" This language was understood to
refer to the offer made him by President
Grant, of the position of Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court Of the United
States, after the death of Chief Justice
Chase. That the appointment to that
Office was rendered to Senator Howe,
and declined by him through regard
for the constituency which had three
times honored him with their confidence
by electing him to the Senate with an
unanimity that has hardly, if any, paral-
lei in the history of American politics,
has been known to some of the Senator's
more intimate personal friends, but was
never referred..to by him, in any public
manner until the publication of the let
ter from which the above quotation IS
taken. Since then, some of the more
malignant of the newspapers that have
undertaken the task of persuading the
people of this State that the Senator is
an unprincipled, corrupt and selfish
politician, have seen fit to express doubts
whether such an offer was ever made.
Those who know Senator Howe we'll
are not likely to wish for more convin
cling evidence than his own statement of
the fact. For the benefit of those who
do not know him Intimately. we have
another witness whose authority
is not likely to be questioned, to-wit
President Grant himself. His testimony
comes in the form of private letter
from Ex-Governor Fairchild, now United
States Consul at Liverpool, which one
of his friends i'll this city has just per-
mitted us to read. Gov. Fairchild, in
writing of Gen. Grants reception at
Liverpool, and of some conversation
that he had with him at the time, says
a'The General told me that he offered
Senator Howe the Chief Justiceship,
and that he refused it for the sake OF
the party After this we may consider
the question-if one really existed III
any mind-settled.
1t may be well, in connection with the
subject, to recall the circumstances un
der which the Senator refused to bs
Chief Justice. He had been three time.
elected Senator, the second and the
third time by the unanimous votes O
every Republican member of the Legis
lature. In both instances, there was n,
talk of any other candidate; there wa
no difference of opinion, no caucus wa
held, and he was elected as the unani
nous choice of the party, an occurrenc
without precedent elsewhere, we thinh
and contrasting wildly with most Sens
torial elections subsequently th
State, swept by sudden and transfer
gust of delusion, fell under the contrt
of the Democratic party. By false pr
fessions, and by strange and unnatur'
combination of railroad influence.
Grangerism, temperance men, and viii
key dealers, Taylor and Democrat
Legislature were carried into power.
was during this abnormal condition
things that Senator Howe was asked
accept the Chief Justiceship,-next
the Presidency, the higest office for Lift
the tenure of which is independent
the chances and hazards of polite