Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-20
CHIEF JUSTICE
WHITE TAKES
OATH Of F0FF|CE.

IFoR FIRST TINE in HISTORY An
ASSOCIATE JUSTICE HAS BEEN
ELEVATED; FIRST HoNoRs ron
| MINORITY PARTY.
washington, d. c., Dec 19.-Edward
pouglass White assumed the duties 81
eaiel Justice of the United States At
ia.oS today. Presiding Justice Har-
la IN VINO has headed the tribunal since
she death OF Chief Justice Fuller, last
July. announced after the orders az
uay mad been made public that Justice
Mnlte who has, been appointed chief
Justice Of United States was present
ahd ready for the oath. He extended
Ehe congratulations Of the court. to the
new new chlef justice and directed Clerk
~, m henpey to read the commission.
Ih1s done the presiding justice admin
istered the oath and the new chief
justice took his place as head OF the
supreme court.
ror the first time In history an A.
soclate justice has been elevated to thu
chief justiceship and for the first time =
president and senate OF one political
party honored a member OF q rival
party by placing him at the head Of
the highest court in the land.
Unlike the inauguration of a presf-
dent as the head of the cooydinate
branch OF the government, the induc.
ton into office of chief Justice OF the
unlted states has always been COM
paratively unostehtatious occasion.
! instead of an escort from the capitoI
70 the white house composed Of gaily
attired civic organizations and season.
ed military commands, new chief
justice has only his black robed
brethren on the bench in procession
from the robing room to the court
room; instead Of his approach being
heralded by the loud h,lzzas OF cheer.
Ing thousands. the advance to power
lof new chief Justice is announced by
nothing more than the solitary tones
Of the court crier; instead OF an IN
augural address outlining his policies
the only utterance Of a new chief Justice
Is the solemn words Of his oath az
office.
The dignity resting In the customs
founded on the swearing into ONCE Of
John Jay John Rutledge. Oliver Ellis
worth and John Marshall, and per-
fected In the days OF Roger B. Taney.
Salmon p. Chase. Morrison r. Waite
and Melville w. Fuller, was not mater
tally disturbed today by radical inno-
vations.
The Oath Taken.
The ceremonies OF elevating an as
socfate justice OF the court into the
chief justiceship Of the nation began
IN the secret confines of the courts
robing room. 1t is here that the oath
OF allegiance lis administered, Just be-
fore the court takes Its place on the
bench. The oath prepared for today's
occasion, followed the form prescribed
by law. 1t read:
Il, Edward Dougless White, do
solemnly swear that i will support and
defend the constitution OF the United
States against all enemies, foreign and
domestic; that will bear true faith
and allegiances to the same; that
take this obligation freely, without any
mental reservation or purpose OF eva
sion, and that I will we'll and faith
fully discharge the duties OF the Of
fee on which am about to enter. So
help me God"
It was a similar oath of allegiance
that created such tempest In the
court, back in reconstruction days.
Hence unusual interest was conferred
in It's administration today to the first
chief justice, who had borne arms in
the cause Of the confederacy by the
senior associate justice of the court.
Justice Harlan, who had borne arms
at the same time In the cause Of the
nation.
Doubt had existed before the cere-
monies as to whether the new chief
Justice would halt at the clerks desk
| in the court room to take the oath
there as most of the men who have oc-
cupied positions on the bench have
done or whether, he would assume his
usual place on the bench and take the
oath there as Chief Justice Chase did.
There was doubt also as to whether
he would hold in his hand the historic
! bible that practically all the chief
Justices and associate justices have
used in this ceremony or whether he
would follow the custom Of Chief JUS
tice Chase In taking the oath on
bible provided for the occasion.
The oath which the new chief lus-
tiSC oupsSiiDCu W III Lie Opou court
is known as the judicial oath as dis
jtinguished from the oath of allegiance.
/ It read:
/ Il. Edward Douglass White, do SOL
emnly swear that will administer Jus
tice without respect to persons, and
do equal right to the poor and to the
i rich. and that will faithfully and Inn
/ partially discharge and perform all the
i duties incumbent on me as chief JUS
Etice of the United States according to
the best of my abilities and UNDER
fstsnding, agreeably to the constitution
and laws of the United States. So
help me God
i Missouri JurIst Dies.
i Excelsior Springs, Mo-, Dec. 19.-