Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-04-05
5arii,tni1t Gcl1rnntrIf.
THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1855.
THE CHIEF JUSTICEsHIP.

New York Mail.
The death of Chief Justice Waite,
which the whole country deplores. is the
first instance since the organization of
the Supreme Court of the United States,
in 1899. of the death of a Chief Justice
during the sitting of the court John
Jay, the first Chief Justice, was confirm
ed September 26, 1899, and held Office
until he was commissioned as special
envoy to Great Britain in 1874. After
the successful termination of that mis-
sion President Washington again nomi-
mated him as Chief Justice, but he de-
clined the appointment and retired from
public life at the early age of 50. He
died at Bedford. Westchester county, n.
Y, May II, 1929.
John Rutledge, the second Chief JUS
tice, was appointed by President Wash
ington in July, 1895, during the recess
of Congress, and presided in the court
at the August term of that year. The
Senate having refused to confirm him,
Oliver Ellsworth was appointed, March
4. 1896. He resigned in 1900, and John
Marshall. succeeded him, assuming the
duties of the Office January l, 1901, and
continuing in their discharge until July
6, 1885, when he died, during vacation,
at Philadelphia.
On March Is, 1886, Chief Justice Taney
took his place as the successor of Mar
shall, and presided in the court for a
term of more than % years. He died
October y, 1864, also during vacation,
in the city of Washington.
Chief Justice Chase was appointed
December 6. 1864, and died May z, 1873,
shortly after the adjournment of the
court. His death and funeral were In
the city of New York.
The commission of Morrison Il. Waite
as Chief Justice was dated January Il,
1874. and his term of service exceeded
in length that of either of his predeces-
sors with the exception of Chief Justi-
ces Marshall and Taney.
The above summary shows that there
is no precedent for the promotion Of an
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
to the Chief Justiceshin. On the death
of Chief Justice Marshall Judge Story
was the foremost jurist of the United
States serving in any court, and he was
the senior Associate Justice of the Su-
preme Court. The question of the pc
culiar fitness of making him Chief JUS
tice was discussed at the time and his
appointment was urged by very many
of his friends, but the political situation
was fatal to his claims. Every Subse-
quent vacancy in the Chief Justiceship
has been filled by an appointment out
side of the court.
Precedents, however, are not control
ing, and the appointment Of either JUS
tice Miller or Justice Field to serve as
Chief Justice during such time as they
shall respectively continue on the Bench
would be acceptable to the Bar and to
the country.
WHY NOT A FARMERS TRUST?
Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette.
The farmers of Kansas have organized
movement looking to the formation of
Farmers Trust, to include the farm
ers, stock-raisers and feeders of the
Northwestern States and Territories of
the Mississippi Valley. An address has
been issued calling convention to meet
in Topeka, May l, and all farmers and
stockmen are urged to attend. Among
the more eogent reasons assigned for
the movement are the following: That
within the last ten years the manufac-
tories and nearly every other branch of
industry except agriculture have formed
what are termed trust associations for
the purpose of checking overproduction
and preventing an oversupply of goods
from being thrown on the market; that
while the farmers may not be able nor
do they care to limit the production of
the soil, they have the power to control
their own shipments and thus regulate
the supply of their commodities, and
with this purpose in view an association
to regulate prices through the control of
shipments is deemed both prudent and
Legitimate.
What the farmers complain of chiefly
is being compelled to pay the cost of
taking wheat to Liverpool before it can
be sold in the home market. 1t is ad-
mitted on all hands that the farmers of
the United States cannot compete with
the wheat-growers of India in the Liv-
erpool markets. but they insist upon
fair exchange of products. This they
propose to accomplish through an or
% ganization that will control shipments
and prevent the supply from exceeding
the demand in the market.
The plan contemplates the establish
ment of ten central agencies, in which
all the selling for the association shall
be done The territory tributary to
these ten commercial points shall be di
vided and sub-divided so that each
farmer will know exactly with whom he
has to deal.
The result of the project will be look
ed for with interest. 1t has, at least, the
merit of entire publicity. There is no
attempt at coneealment, and what it is
proposed to do will be done openly and
above board. This is decided improve
ment on trust methods, and the very
opposite of the more questionable
schemes devised for enhancing the prices
of commodities. Why not a farmers
trust?
KENTUCKY'S DISGRACE.
Memphis Avalanche, Dem.
1t is high time that sentiment gave
way to business ideas in the conduct of
public as well as private affairs. For
years and years the Democratic party of
Kentucky has suffered from kind of
dry rot. While Democratic strength has
been growing nearly everywhere else, it
has been waning in that State-gradu-
ally the majorities have been reduced
until Democracy finds itself hanging on
by margin so narrow that Kentucky