Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-24
TALK OF A SUCCESSOR.


Carlisle In the Lead.
WASHINGTON CITY, March 4.-The shock
to the community by the sudden death of
Chief Justice Waite has hardly been felt
throughout the city before speculation begins
Us to who will be his successor on the supreme
court bench. The Star, commenting upon
the matter, says: "Politically, man of an
other party will go upon the bench to fill the
vacancy. As to who it will be there is but
little speculation as yet There are many
candidates whose names come to the minds of
t., srybody at once. Two who were much
spoken of when there was another vacancy
Secretary Bayard and Attorney General Gar
land-will not expect or desire the appoint
nent. Judge Jackson Judge Sims, and many
others who were named then will again be
mentioned What is thought to he most prob
able is that Speaker Carlisle will succeed
Chief Justice Waite on the bench of
the supreme court 1t is known that he
was offered the seat that Justice Lamar now
couples before it was offered to that gentle
man He declined it very reluctantly, and
his declinatiOn was us reluctantly received. But
it was agreed between him and Mr. Cleve-
land, after talking the matter over, that the
political situntion-pa necessity required
Carlisle's presence in the house to organize
it, and to work to bring the party together
for the passage of tariff bill. Carlisle at
the same time told Mr. Cleveland that no
other public position or trust could so suit his
disposition and fit in with his inclinations as
that of supreme court justice. The matter
was very seriously considered and carefully
weighed in the balance, one consideration
against another, before it was finally decided
that the course should he followed that was
pursued eventually.
The political reasons that then interfered
are no longer in the way. The house is or
ganizedr and all will be done that can be done
toward passing tariff bill and shaping the
party policy before it will be necessary to ap-
point Chief Justice Waite's successor. There
were several months of delay in appointing
Lamar Three months delay from now and,
the tariff bill will have been disposed of in
some way and the house will be on the verge
of adjournment The only consideration that
kept Carlisle from the bench last fall will
have been removed
Hon. W. H. Barnum, chairman of the
Democratic national committee, expressed
the opinion that Judge Thurman ought to be
appointed to succeed Chief Justice Waite. II
was probably not quite the thing to discuss
the matter of succession so soon after the
death, he said, but he thought it would be
wise and proper thing to appoint Judge Thur
man.
THE Michigan men are discussing the chances
of Postmaster General Dickinson for the
appointment. Judge Chapman says that should
he be put upon the bench he would make one
of the most brilliant chief justices we have
had. 1t is known to Dickinson's friends that
it has been his ambition to get upon the su
preme bench at some time 1t is urged that
the appointment must go to the Sixth dis
trict, which includes Michigan, Ohio Ten
nassau and Kentucky Carlisle Thurman
and Dickinson are all three in this district
at was suggested that Justice Field might
be promoted and a new associate justice ap
pointed in his place, but Democratic sena
tor level-headed politician, answered that
suggestion by saying that Justice Field was
too old, and that now the Democracy had
an opportunity to select the chief justice it
must be a man who is good for twenty years
at least. 1t was suggested as quite probable
that the president will select a northern man,
as the appointment of a southern man would
provoke criticism to the effect that the south
was being given too much power in the court
of last resort. Some of the friends of Mr..
Villas, the secretary of the interior, think
that he may be the successor of Chief Justice
Waite"
The probable effect of Chief Justice Waites
death upon the telephone cases is, The Star
says, a subject of some comment among bust
ness men. The fact that the chief justice cast
the deciding vote in favor of the Bell people
in the recent decision, leaves the court stand
ing to 3, and Justice Lamar, who had nc
part in the recent decision, will be competent
to participate in the government case 1t is
thought he will be likely to hold against the
Bell patents. This fact makes the selection
of chief justice of vital Importance to the tel
ephone Gtgants.