Evening journal., 1910-12-29
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Full Story of How Chief
Justice White Gained the
supreme Bench
BY "Holland.~
By "HOllsnd.~

But for Governor CleYeland's deter
mination ito get as far away from
New York State as possible" Edward
Douglas White would probably not
now be Chief Justice Of the United
States Supreme Court Aud the various
interesting details OF how he came 10
be put on the bench as an Associate
Justice by President Cleveland are
given here for the first time.
President Cleveland found il eXpedl-
cnt to summon Congress into eXtraor-
binary session in the summer of 1888
Panic prevailed. There had been a viz
tual suspension Of payments by the
banks. The president was assured that
if Congress would repeal the so-called
Sherman silver law, confidence would
be restored. II SO happened that a va
cancy upon the bench of the Supreme
Court had occurred, and the president
determined to send into the Senate at
the extra session the nomination of a
lawyer TO illl that vacancy.
Taking counsel solely with himself
he sent In the nomination OF William
b. HornbloWer Of New York The SEN
ate did not act upon the nomination
at the special session. and so as Con-
| gress adjourned without confirming
the appointment, il was necessary for
the president TO make a new nomina-
tiOn when Congress met I'm December.
IL was suggested to him that he send
some other name than that OF Mr..
HOrnblOwer TO the Senate. I'm fact, Mr..
Hornblower himself made this sug-
| gestiOn. But Grover Cleveland would
not have been the man he was had
he agreed TO a suggestion of that kind.
Your nomination will go TO the Sem
ate again, and will stay there until il
is confirmed or rejected he said to
Mr.. Hornblower. The nomination was
again made, and David b. Hill. then
Senator, caused it to be rejected
A day or two later President Cleve-
| land sent to the Senate the nomination
! Of Wheeler II. Pockham Of New York
! for associate Justice Senator Hi
made this nomination a personal issue
| He had urged the Senate TO exempt
/ Hornblower on the ground that he
was not a loyal Democrat But Wheeler
! H. Peckham was a personal, as well
as q political enemy. Mr.. Hill there
fore appealed to the custom known as
! Senatorial courtesy, aud in that way
! he secured the rejection of the nomi-
| nation of Peckham for justice.
Thereupon, Grover Cleveland de-
ternined 50 TO act AS to put an end TO
} the playing fast and loose with his
nominations to the Supreme Court
! Bench. 81 am going to get as far away
/ from New York state as possible he
| declared. "Ihe Senators from New
! York appear not to want a New York
/ man to fill the vacancy upon the bench
caused by the death of justice who
was nominated from New York. Well ]
think I can accommodate them"
Thereupon the president asked one
or two friends TO sound the Senator's
quietly respecting the availability of
/ Edward d. White, Senator from Loui-
siana. as associate justice. Those
friends told President Cleveland that
Senator White came from an old
Louisiana Wing family.
well, there isn't any Whig party
now; Senator White was elected as a
! Democrat and he is a Democrat" was
the reply. Would there be the slight
est objection to his appointment And
the answer was that if he sent Sen
atOr Whites name to tho Senate for
associate justice that body would con-
firm the appointment within ten min
utes.
While this consultation was going on
Senator White was ignorant Of what
was IN the presidents mind A few
hours before his nomination was sent
TO the Senate friend said TO Senator
White; President Cleveland is going
TO Louisiana for his Supreme Court
Justice, He says he is going to get as
far away from New York state as pos
sible, because the New York senators
don't want a New York man appoint
cd"
"That would be a great honor for
Louisiana" Senator White said.
Whether just previously he had a
more direct intimation of the presi-
dents purpose is not nown, but his
nomination was speedily confirmed,
and it was confirmed unanimously and
with such evidence Of cordial appro-
citation that Senator White was deeply
touched.
Copyright, 1910. by T. j. Edwards. All
rights reseryed,)