Evening journal., 1911-01-25
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How John G. Carlisle Was Offered
and Refused the Chief Justice
ship Of the United States.
BY 0HoIland.D
By "Honand"

With Mr.. George f. Parker the biog-
rapher and intimate friend of Grover
Cleveland as my authority. / told yea
terday that John G. Carlisle. lieuten-
ant-governor of Kentucky. member OF
Congress for six and Speaker of the
House for three terms, United States
Senator for three years, and Secretary
OF the Treasury throughout President
Cleveland's second administration. re-
fused to become Chief Justice of the
United States when President Cleve-
land. towards the close of his first
term, offered him the exalted post. To-
day, in Mr.. Carlisle's own words, tell
how that offer was made and how It
was refused-a hitherto unchronicled
bit of national history, and one of dra-
matte simplicity while it was happen
ing.
Mr.. Carlisle himself was the first to
let It be known privately that he had
been offered the place of Chief Justice
OF the United States by Mr.. Cleveland.
A few days after Mr.. Cleveland's fun
eral, in 1908, when Mr.. Carlisle had
been practicing law not all too sue
cessfully in New York, for a number
OF years, he said to a friend.
i owe much of the success of my
career to Grover Cleveland. / also owe
to him an expression of confidence to
which / have never before made any
reference, except to my immediate
family. l called one morning in 1883
upon the President; as Speaker of the
House OF Representatives l had some
official business to transact with Him.
He received me cordially in his pri-
vate office. Suddenly, while we were
chatting about the business in hand.
he arose from his chair, went to the
window which gives upon the south
lawn. or White House lot, thrust his
hands in his pockets, and stood for
long time looking out of the window in
the direction of the Potomac. I knew
from his manner that he had some
thing on his mind. Then, as suddenly
as he had left his chair he wheeled
around, looked at me intently for a
moment, and said: Mr. Carlisle. I
want TO nominate you for Chief JUS
tice of the Supreme Court of the
United States; will you accept"
THAT was the first suspicion | had
that the President had borne me in
mind in connection with the vacant
chief justiceship For myself ] had
never even connected myself with the
position. Therefore, his words came to
hit Win Ailt nuuQtnlltc6 VI a WAoiAe
unexpected blow ] was startled-yet
] knew instantly from his manner that
he wanted an immediate reply.
"At that time all my aspirations
were directly in line with a political
career. The whole situation confront
ing me, in view Of the Presidents rev.
elation, passed through my mind in
stantly. and | made intuitlve iudg-
ment ! told the President that great
as was the compliment, and distin-
guished as was the honor, neverthe-
less my judgment was that must de-
cline the chief justieeship. He looked
at me regretfully for "A moment, and
then took up again the business we
had in hand.
Il have often wondered" concluded
Mr. Carlisle, whether or not | made
a mistake in declining that unexpected
offer of the chief justiceship."
It may be set down as a practical
certainty that had not Mr.. Carlisle de-
clined that offer the closing years of
his life would have been happier than
they were to him as great lawyer
with few clients in the city Of New
York.
Copyright. 1911. by E. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved)