The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-15
HUMAN NATURE IN WASHINGTON
By FRED C. KELLY.

General The place had already been
promised to another, bat when Van De-
vanter was in Washington, soon after
McKinIeys inauguration, bis friend Sen
ator Warren invited him to so over to
the White House with him and meet the
President.
Now, about the worst thing that could
be said concerning Van Devanter at that
time was his extremely youthful appear
ance. He had been assistant attorney
general of the Territory Of Wyoming at
the age of twenty-nine when Senator
Warren was governor. and didn't look
much older at the time Of this visit
20 the President, though he was in real
ity about thirty-eght His hair was
prematurely gray all in one spot at one
side Of his head
when you go in to see the President. "
suggested Senator Warren, Jokingly, he
sure TO sit or stand so that that gray
spot viii be toward him. and he may
take you seriously
II did so happen that the chairs in the
| Presidents Office were arranged in a
manner that placed Van Devanter's gray
side next to the President
! Whether the patch of gray hair had
anything to with 1t or not. President
! Mckinley was much taken with Van
| Devanter, and after the conference was
over he remarked to Senator Warren;
II want to have that young man in my
administration. / shall offer him a place
as Assistant Attorney General"
/ Van Devanter had set his heart on the
! Solicitor General place. and did not want
/ TO become an Assistant Attorney General
However. after a talk with Cornelius
4 Bliss, Van Devanter accepted the position
AS the country editor says when a boy
| obtains a iob-and was assigned TO the
! Department Of the Interior.
/
It may be remarked now that the
judiciary Committee of the Senate has
the Presidents appointments. that the
public has little idea Of the range Of i'm
portant factors TO be considered before
the Judiciary Committee will confirm
! Presidents appointment to the Supreme
bench For example IL is customary fOI
| the committee to look pretty carefully
into the records Of an appointee's antece
dents, as we'll as his own record.
some member Of the Judiciary Commit
tee should have strong belief IN heredity
and there should be found decided trace:
| Of incOmpetency or anything else unde
sirable in the appointee's antecedents, M
| Presidents recommendation would in al
probability be turned down.
One may recall. too. in this connection
that not such great many years ago al
appointee for the United States Suprem
Court was rejected because il came on
in the committee investigation that whel
ne was connected with one Of the depart
| ments here he had used government car
riages 10 ride around In when merely Ol
pleasure bent.
Nearly every great man has some littl
stunt that he does when preoccupied o
| unusually thoughtful Some pun absent
mindedly at lock OF their hair, other
will draw useless diagrams on a blotteT
and another manicure his nails or whitu
a lead pencil. When Senator Burton be
comes particularly thoughtful eithe
alone or in CONVEX sation. he sits ant
strokes the lobe Of his right ear. He ha
done it so long that his right ear has be
come a wee trihe lorger than his othe
one
| tCosgright, 1910 BY Fred c. KeIly1