Mohave County miner., 1888-04-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.

trRoM our REGULAR coRnEsrosDEEr.)
| WAsHisGToS. March 70, 1888.
"Chief Justice Waite is dead" was the
startling announcement that fell upon
Washington on Friday morning last. No
one could believe Il possible at FIRST, 70,
although the Chief Justice was in his sew.
ent, second year he was a remarkably
well preserved man. and TO Judge from
outward appearances likely to live
for many years. He had been slight.
ly ailing for several days but neither he
nor bis physician realized that II was any
thing more than cold.
Chief Justice Waite presided over the
Supreme Court last Monday and the long
opinion in favor Of the Bell patent In the
celebrated telephone case, which occupi-
ed two hours in its reading. was his last
work. He graduated from Yale college
in 1887, and was appointed TO the Supreme
Bench from Ohio, by President Grant in
1874.
| The appointment Of successor TO the
lato Chief Justice IL by far ,iso mort nm
portant question: which Mr. Cleveland has
yet had 10 consider, and one which can
I MT fail to have IN important bearing on
the next presidential election. Owing TO
the almost equal division Of opinion among
the eight Justices OF the Supreme Court
on many important public and private
questions, the new Chief Justice will have
an amount OF power in shaping importan.
events, one might almost say iu making
history, that seldom falls to any one man
under republican form Of government,
and the importance Of selecting q inan
who has the entire confidence OF the coun-
try in his integrity as well as bis ability
is one which is clearly appreciated by
everybody.
That the President will select demo
crat for this place goes without saying.
He could not be expected to waive an op-
portunity Of securing this most important
party. But the country has right to
demand that the man selected shall not
be mere politician. His legal ability
must be Of the highest order and his in
tegrity unquestioned. There are q mum.
Der OF DEMOCRATS who can fill this bill.
II Mr.. Cleyeland will select one Of them
the people OF all parties ought TO be satis-
fed.
Among those already prominently men
toned for thervscant position are Speaker
Carlisle, who Is thought by many to have
the best chances, because it is known
that he was offered the last vacancy on
the Supreme. Bench before Mr.. Lamar
was appointed, and that he declined it
very reluctantly. Don. NJ. Dickinson, of
Michigan, the present Postmaster Gen.
eral, is considered 70 be second in the
race, but he is hardly likely to receive the
appointment unless the place be allowed
TO remain vacant until after the election,
because he could not do the work mapped
out for him in the coming campaign II he
were Chief Justice. Among the other
names are ex-senator Thurman, Of Ohio,
Hon. J. Randolph Tucker, Of Virginia,
Secretary Bayard, Of Delaware, Secretary
Endicott, Of Massachusetts, Attorney
General Garland, Of Arkansas, Repre-
sentative Collins, Of Mass. Senator Gray,
of Delaware, ex-senator Mcdonald, Of In
diana, and quite number of smaller men
who only hope to gain little notoriety
by having themselves mentioned in con-
nection with 80 exalted q position.
1t is said by prominent Democrats that
the appointment will not be made until
after the st. Louis convention, as Mr.,
Cleveland would be afraid of antagonizing
frie.ds of aspirants before that time.
The funeral Of the late Chief Justice
will take place on Wednesday, in the
Hall of the House Of Representatives.
The remains will then be taken to Toledo,
Ohio. for interment, accompanied by the
special Congressional committees the As
sociate Justices Of the Supreme Court,
and the Ohio delegation in Congress.
The Senate has passed the bill reducing
the postage on seeds, bulbs, plants, cut
tings, ETC., to four cents pound. 1t has
also passed bills providing for an inves-
tigation of all phases of the alchoholic
liquor traffic, by commission. The lat
ter is to consist Of five persons to be select
ed by the President and to remain in ex-
istence until ITS work is completed, but
not to exceed two years.
The House committee on reform in the
civil service decided to report the bill ia
vorably which apportions appointments
in the civil service at Washington equally
among the Congressional districts OF the
several states upon the basis Of popula-
tion. II will also provide that the civil
service Commission shall keep a record
OF all persons in the classified service in
the departments at Washington, showing
at all times the total number in such ser
vice from each state and territory. In the
future certificates for appointments will
be given to the state or territory having
the fewest number employed here, until
each shall have the proper number based
on population, as shown in the last CEN