Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-12-20
UNITED STATES
SUPREME COURT
Interesting Facts About the Nations
Highest Tribunal -


The appointment of the chief JUS
tice of the supreme court of the
United States has been regarded witt
far greater interest on the part OF the
general public of New York than the
organization of that body in this city
under a New Yorker as the first CHIEF
Justice. commanded 120 years ago. Il
was on February l, 1890, that John
Jaw, one of Manhattan's leading citi'
zens at that time, sat in powdered
queue and black robes in a chamber
of the old Stock Exchange and called
to order a court of undetermined ju-
risdiction which was without litigant
docket, writ or record. It's member:
attended a banquet given that same
evening at Fraunces Tavern in their
honor by the lawyers of New York.
There are many reasons why people
of New York should show a great
deal of interest in the president
choice of the chief justice, and most
of them are accounted for by the
growth of city, state and nation, with
which the supreme court has kept
step.
New York did not consider it such
an honor when Jay held the office
and even Jay himself looked down
somewhat on his office, to such an eX-
tent that he resigned to become the
governor of the young state of New
York. Time reversed the process
when Mr. Hughes resigned the gov
ernorship to become an associate In
the body over which Jay originally
presided without realizing the position
which it would attain. Today the su-
preme court is considered ''the crown
ing marvel of the wonders wrought
by the craftsmanship Of America, en-
bodying the loftiest ideas Of moral and
legal power"
At the head of such a body there
has been a remarkable succession OF
men who have shown themselves
worthy of the power given to them by
their professional ability, broad
minded versatility and unblemished
integrity. The only blot on their
record was the opinion brought about
by Roger B. Taney in the Dred Scott
decision. but it is considered as due
to his mental and physical weakness.
Those who stand out prominently in
the list Of the seven chief justices who
have served their country previous to
the recent appointment of Edward
Douglass White, on account of their
more than extraordinary accomplish
ments. are Oliver Ellsworth, the au-
thor of the judiciary system OF the
United States; John Marshall. who
moulded the constitution into full and
permanent form. and Salmon P,
Chase, who founded the present fiscal
system.
That Chief Justice White will not
fall short Of the qualifications which
distinguished his predecessors is the
opinion of President Taft, who named
him, and all those who know his
record as a lawyer, statesman and as
sociate justice. He has come to the
office at a time when the interpreta-
tions and decisions made in important
cases involving trusts, monopolies and
interstate commerce involve as much
responsibility for the future as for the
present, since the attitude OF the su-
preme court on these questions has
by no means been completely estab-
lished. They involve the opportuni-
ty for great decisions which will make
history, as did those of John Marshall,
Salmon P. Chase and the late Melville
W. Fuller.
Chief Justice White is distinguished
by his intellectual power and keen
sense of analysis. He is as command
ing mentally as he is physically, as
broad minded as he is broad-shoul-
dered. A peculiar personal mag
netism accompanying the easy grace
and charm of manner Of southern
gentleman can scarcely be subdued by
his judicial robes, even though he is
neither a southerner nor a Democrat
when he sits on the bench as impartial
Edward Douglass White searching for
the truth with a mind that penetrates
TO the vital point at issue.
No partially because Of birth, re-
ligion. political belief or support of
the Confederacy has affected his views
as an associate justice and the many
opinions which he has written for the
court. The general public approval
which his appointment meets with in
ulCdlGS lHdl Sllllldl NpIluuSl 10 tN
pected in the position in which his
powerful mental vigor will affect the
justices under him to a greater or less
extent
Mr.. White is almost sc years old,
for he was born in March, 1S45, in
Lafourche Parish, La. Since his pa
rents were Roman Catholics he was
educated in a Jesuit college in New
Orleans and Roman Catholic college
L hn fhraG n ?
Of the Civil War he entered the Con-
federate army and served until honor
ably discharged. He was admitted to
the bar of the state of Louisiana
when % years old and six years later
was elected to his first political office
as state senator. From that time on
until his appointment as an associate
justice he was active in politics. Mr..
White was the leader in the movement
to overthrow the Burke ring of New
Orleans and in the anti-lotterieS fight,
which caused great bitterness in
Louisiana. For two years, from 1878
to 1880. he was on the bench as an
associate justice of the supreme court
of his state. 1t was in 1888 that he
went to the United States senate, and
there he distinguished himself in his
arguments against the constitutions
ality of the anti-option law and by his
stand taken against placing sugar on
the free list. IT was said that Senator
White as we'll as many of his constit-
uents depended on Louisiana sugar
cane plantations for their wealth.
President Cleveland's appointment
of Mr.. White to the supreme court in
1894 followed the senate's rejection
of the chief executives nominations
of Mr.. HornblOwer and Wheeler H.
Peckham. a brother of the late Asso-
ciate Justice Peckham. That Senator
White should be Cleveland'S third
choice surprised Louisiana and the
whole country. He was the first Ro-
man Catholic to occupy seat in the
supreme court after the death of Chief
Justice Taney.
The appointment of a chief justice
in itself is always a matter of interest,
for the United States has been fortu-
nate enough to have had but seven
changes in 120 years. The terms of
office of Marshall. Taney and Fuller
were the longest, and those of Jay,
Ellsworth, Chase and Waite the short
Tnh tho 1iSfi1