The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1897-03-18
CHIEF JUSTICES.
High ohice In the United Staseu
Which Few Men Have Held.

ae High Office In the United Stafea
Which Few Men Have Held.
we Office of the chief justice of
supreme court of the United
es was established by the consti-
bon con6tlfrently with the office
0l president, but while the presiden-
cy has beenlopen to all native born
clfA2ens above the age of 35 the
Office Of chief justice of the supreme
court bestowed usually upon men
OF mature if. not advanced years,
has been held in fact by seven per
sonSonly since the foundation of the
government. There have been more
than three TIMES as many presidents.
John Jay of New York was the
first chief justice of the supreme
court He was appointed by Wash
ington In 1889. Judge Jay was at
that time only IA years of age.
When he attained the age of SO, he
resigned and retired to private life.
He died "a years later-in 1929. The
second Of the supreme court chief
justices was John Ellsworth of Con-
neoticut. He was "a years of age
When appointed and served until
1901 when he resigned, designations
from public Office being somewhat
|Dore frequent at that time than
Vow, His successor was John Mar
shall of Virginia, who was 46 years
Eof age when he assumed this post
kby appointment of President John
Adams. He held it uninterruptedly
for "a years, until his death, in 1885.
Andrew jackson appointed his sue
cessor, Roger B. fancy of Mary
land, who held the office until his
death, in 1854. Judge fancy was SO
years of age when appointed and 81
at the time of his death. No chief
justice of the supreme court perhaps
had more intricate questions to de
termine or to vote upon in that tri-
bunal than did Judge fancy, and
his tenure and that of Chief Justice
Marshall stretch over nearly one
half of the history of the United
States as a nation. Chief Justice
Taney's successor was Salmon p.
Chase of Ohio, who had previously
been secretary of the treasury, and
was Sc years Of age when appointed.
He served for nine years, dying in
1873. Mr.. Chase was appointed by
Abraham Lincoln, and it is a part OF
the history of their day that Mr..
Chase was himself candidate for
the presidency and had hoped to de.
feat Mr.. Lincoln for denomination
and to succeed him, and later, in
1868, it is known that Mr.. Chase
was candidate for the Democratic
nomination for the presidency
though he, had been one of the
founders of the Republican party.
Chief Justice Chase was succeeded
in 1873 by President Grants ap-
pointment of another Ohio man.
Morrison r. Waite, who was So
years of age when appointed and
served until 1883, when he was sue
ceeded by the present chief justice,
Melville w Fuller, appointed by
President Cleveland Mr.. Fuller is
a native of Maine. He was, wher
appointed, SIS years of age. He il
the seventh of the chief Justices OF
the supreme court.
In addition to the chief Justices
who have served, several men have
been nominated for the office but re
| jected by the senate, which has con
| firmatory power. The Office of CHIEF
justice is by many citizens more
highly coveted than that of the
presidency. The labor is less, the
responsibility much smaller, the
tenure longer and the honor an ex
allied one.-New York Sun.