Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-11-29
THIRTY YEARS ON
SUPREME BENCH
JUSTICE JOHN M. HARLAN STILL
ACTIVE AND EFFICIENT, AZ
THOUGH ELIGIBLE FOR RE-
TIREMENT MANY YEARS AGO.

der, politician and statesman, but
chiefly as a jurist, has at all times
been characterized by that intensity
and straightforwardness that has
made his legal opinions delivered in
the highest court of the land of espe-
cial interest. And in his 80 years on
the supreme bench he has handed
down some noted decisions, including
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29.-Thirty
years an associate justice of the SUI
preme court of the United States is
the remarkable record attained today
by Mr.. Justice John Marshall Har-
Ian 1t was on November 29, 1877,
that Justice Harlan received his COM
mission, taking his seat on the bench
on the 10th of the following month.
In the entire history of the supreme
court there have been but five men,
bers of that august body whose
terms of service exceeded the record
of Justice Harlan. Justices Story
and Fields each served "a years,
Justices Mclean of Ohio and Wayne
of Georgia each 80 years, and Bush
rod Washington of Virginia 81 years.
Perhaps the life of no man living
has been more intimately associated
with the history of the nation than
that of Mr.. Harlan. When the Civil
war broke out he left the practice
of the law and entered the Union
that in the Nebraska maximum
freight rate case and the Northern
Securities company case.
Mr.. Harlan was born in Boyle
county, Kentucky, in 1888. was edu-
Gated in Center college and Transyl-
vania university, and was county
Judge at the age of rs. In the Civil
war he was colonel of a Kentucky
regiment in the Union army, and
later served as attorney general of
the Blue Grass State. He was twice
nominated for governor.
His life since he came to Wash
ington 80 years ago has brought him
into contact with a vast number of
public men. Among those whom he
has known are Gen Grant, Roscoe
Conkling, James G. Blaine, Thomas
A. Hendricks, Schuyler Colfax, Hen
ry Wilson, Allen G. Thurman, Presi-
dent Garfield, George F. Hoar, Chief
Justice Waite, President Hayes, Pres
ident Arthur, President Harrison,
President Cleveland and General
Sherman, who was his old comman-7
der in the Civil war. He has known
practically all of the men who have
been eminent in the history of the
nation for half a century. With
these men he has come in actual con-
tact, and men of them he has known
intimately.
The marked optimism of Harlan
and his interest in present-day af-
fairs, from golf to the cases that
come before him as a member OF the
supreme court of the United States,
have always made him a favorite
among young men. There is no out
of-door sport that Is not familiar to
Mr.. Harlan. Not only has he always
taken an interest in such sports, but
he has been an ardent participant In
many of them. At his summer home
in Murray Bay, Canada, he is known
as an earnest golf player, and was,
for time, the president of the golf
club. which boasts many fine play
ers. He loves physical exercise OF
any kind.
Justice Harlan has been eligible
to retirement from the supreme
bench for several years, but so far
as his friends are aware he has
never taken the question up for con-
sideration. His retirement would be
regarded as distinct loss to the
court because of his natural ability,
vigorous Americanism and long ex-
perfence in dealing with constftu-
tional questions that have come be-
fore him