Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-07-08
MIR. HUGHES FOR CHIEF JUSTICE.
New York World.)

Ii pubic attention turns Instantly
to the matter of successor to Chief
Justice Fuller it implies no lack of re-
spect for the venerable and disting-
uished jurist who died so suddenly
yesterday On the contrary it is a.
tribute to the tremendous Importance
of his office in its relation to the great
governmental questions of which the
United States Supreme Court is the
arbiter.
Almost by common consent Gov.
Hughes is accepted as the natural and
logical successor to Chief Justice Full
Ter, and there seems to be a general
understanding that Mr.. Taft will APP
point him. The Governors qualifica-
tons hardly require discussion.
He is the ideal age-forty-eig
which is seven years younger than was
Melville w. Fuller when he was
named for Chief Justice by President
Cleveland in 1888. Only two of the
Chief Justices have been younger than
that-Jay, who was forty-four when
he became the presiding Justice of the
court at the time of it's organization
and Marshall, who was forty-six when
he entered upon that wonderful career
which continued for thrty-four years
While it is true that no Associate JUS
tice has ever become Chief Justice
the nomination of Rutledge was not
confirmed on account of mental dis
abilities-the precedent is without
force. In the case of Gov. Hughes il
is peculiarly devoid of merit, for he
has not yet taken his place on the
bench.
When Mr. Taft selected Mr.. Hughes
to succeed Justice Brewer the Presi-
dent said he looked forward to
| twenty-five years of solid usefulness"
on the part of the newly appointed
| Justice Twenty-Five years measures
the exact time that Mr.. Fuller was
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
The first Interstate Commerce law had
been on the statute. books only a year
when he took his seat. The Sherman
Antitrust law had not yet been en-
acted The whole question of Federal
supervision over corporations was
enshrouded in mist and disputation. 1t
has been slowly worked out by the Su-
preme Court during the years that Mr..
Fuller was it's Chief Justice, but the
end is not yet reached. The most i'm
portant industrial cases that the court
has yet been compelled to deal with
are now before that tribunal, and its
decision will make not only political
history but economic and industrial
history.
Surely it is not strange that even on
the day of Chief Justice Fullers death
there should be general discussion as
to his probable successor. To be Chief
Justice of the United States Supreme
Court is to WELD a power that no 9TH
er Judge in all the world yields, and
the man who holds that great office
| for twenty or thirty years leaves his
indelible seal upon the life of the ma
tion.
1t must be counted a matter for
| public gratitude that the life of the
venerable Chief Justice was spared
until the question of a successor could
be determined by a President like
William H. Taft, who appreciates the
responsibilities of the Federal judic-
larry and knows what Judge should
be- 1t is likewise fortunate that great
| lawyers like Mr.. Hughes are always
available, who regard a place on the
bench of the United States Supreme
Court as the browning achievement of
legal career.
Should Mr.. Taft now make Mr..
Hughes Chief Justice instead of Asso-
ciate Justice the appointment would
be greeted with all the manifestations
of public approval that followed the
original nomination. There would be
general satisfaction that this greatest
of legal tribunals is to have as its pre-
siding Justice man who has demon
strated his fitness for any office OF
public trust, who has proved his SYM
patty with the courts best traditions
and loftiest ideals.