Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-03-24
Springfield 8epnhlis
SATURDAY EVENING. MARCH ~. 1888.
MORRISON X. WAITE.

At six O'Clock on the morning of Friday,
best of Americans-Morrison Remich
waite, chief justice of the United States
supreme court-passed away from earth'
leaving as a legacy to his country spotiess
memory. Mr.. Waite was taken i'll on Sat
urday night last but was in his place on the
bench, on Monday. His disease was IN ms
liver, spleen and stomach and SO late as
Thursday night, be was pronounced com"
Portable. and his death, early on the follow
ing morning. was surprise TO all. bis
daughter. lovely and noble woman OF
broad, philanthropic sympathies and con-
duct, and his distinguished son, Mr.. c. Z.
Waite, were at his bedside-his grief
stricken wife being, az TINS dread hour, on
the other side of the continent, in Cali
fornia-
Judge Waite was born in Lyme, Con-
necticut, at the mouth of the Connecticut
river, November 29th, 1916, and was tEere-
fore in his 7ad year. He did not appear to
be Of that age. Young Waite graduated at
Yale in 1887. In 1850 he opened. with a
partner, law Office in Toledo, Ohio. In
1s49 he was elected to a seat in the Ohio
legislature, and was the Whig candidate for
the convention of 1850 to revise the consti-
tion of the state, but was defeated. He
was also defeated, as candidate for con-
gress. In 1852. He was offered position
on the supreme bench, to fill a
vacancy, by Governor Brough, but
declined to accept the position. Much to
his surprise, doubtless, he was chosen as
the counsel of the United States, in the ar
bitration of the Alabama claims at Cen
eva. The result OF this arbitration, as Is
well-known. was largely due to his logical
power and his knowledge Of international
questions. To the constitutional conyen-
tien called in 1878 to revise the constitution
OF Ohio, he was elected delegate from Luz
cas- county by both political parties and
was elected president of that body. Upon
the death Of Chief Justice Chase, after
Hon. George ii. Williams and Hon. Caleb
Gushing had been successfully nominated
and withdrawn, President Grant sent to
the senate the name Of Morrison Il. Waite.
of Ohio, who but one year previous had, on
motion OF Mr.. Gushing, been admitted to
practice in the court of which he was des-
tined to become chief justice. Mr.. Waite
was confirmed by the unanimous vote OF
the senate.
He was man of quiet, unpretending
manners, of clear head, of a good heart
and of commanding ability. He would
have vacated his position long ago, If he
could have done so without imperelling
public interests. In the recent case, as to
the right to transport liquors into Iowa, be
rendered dissenting opinion, holding tina,
a state has right to utterly shut intoxi-
eating liquors from IFS territory if its people
wished TO do so.
Judge Waite leaves behind him eight as
s,ciate justices-Samuei F. Miller, Stephen
J. Field. Joseph P. Bradley. John NJ. Har-
Ian. Stanley Matthews, Horace Gray, Sam
usI Blatehford and Lucius Q K. Lamar.
Justices Miller. Bradley, Harlan, Mat
thsws, Gray and BIatchford, six of the
eight are republicans.
President Cleveland. who has shown
eat and proper feeling over the death of
the chief justice, will have the appointment
of his successor.