The Washington herald., 1911-10-29

ferred diplomacy and wanted to remain
Minister to Russia. Joseph Story became
the Massachusetts members of the court.
| and the other appointment went to
Duvan Of Maryland.
No Vacancy in Twelve Years.
Between 1911 and 1923 there were no va
cancies. This is the longest period in
| its history that the court has remained
unchanged. Just at the end of his eight
| years in the Presidency, Monroe had the
! opportunity to fill a vacancy by the ap-
pointment of Smith Thompson. in 1923.
TO succeed Brockholst Livingston. J. 2.
Adams sole appointee was Robert Trim
| BILE, OF Kentucky, who sat on the bench
only two years.
Jackson, in his eight years in the Pres
| idency, filled a majority of the seats OF
the Supreme Court bench with his own
appointees. These were Chief Justice
Taney and Associate Justices Mclean
of Ohio, Baldwin of Pennsylvania.
Wayne of Georgia, and Barbour Of Vir-
ginia.
Van Buren,, soon after he became Pres
ident filed the two new places created
by an act Of 1897. His first appOintee,
William Smith. of Alabama. declined.
and he named Catron, of Tennessee. and
Mckinley, Of Alabama. William Henry
no opportunity to make appointments to
the Supreme bench, but Tyler, who fol-
lowed him, appointed two justices. The
second President who made no appoint
ments was Zachary Taylor, but he, like
Harrison, was but a short time in office.
Fillmore, who succeeded him, appointed
one. Polk, Pierce, and Buchanan had
the appointment of only one justice each.
Lincoln, who chose five, including
Chief Justice Chase. was able to fill one
newly created place. This was for the
new circuit created on the Pacific Slope,
TO which he appointed Stephen ]. Field.
johnson, as already recalled, was pre-
vented from making appointments to
the court by having 1t cut down in size.
Grants first appointment was Edwin NJ.
Stanton, who, however, never served. as
he died four days after his confirmation
by the Senate. Hayes appointed but two
justices, one OF whom was the late JUS
tice Harlan. Garfield, in his brief term.
selected one justice, Stanley Matthews,
Of Ohio, while his successor, Arthur. ap-
pointed two, Gray, of Massachusetts, and
Blatchford, of New York.
Cleveland appointed two justices in
each Of his two terms. Mckinley ap-
pointed but one. Justice McKenna, OF
California. OF RoOsevelts three ap-
pOintees, Holmes, Day, and Moody all
but the last are still members of the
court.
The Youngest Justice.
Story was the youngest man ever ap-
pointed to the Supreme Court bench.
He was only thirty-two when he was
commissioned. Bushrod Washington
was thirty-sIx. Most of the members,
especially in recent years. have been
getting well along in their forties at
the beginning of their service The
shortest terms of those who actually
participated in the proceedings Of the
court were those Of Thomas Johnson,
of Maryland, one of WashingtOn's ap-
pointees: Trimble, of Kentucky, and
Howell z. Jackson, Of Tennessee, the
Democrat whom Benjamin Harrison
appointed to the bench just before
leaving office. Each served but two
years.
Eight justices have served on the
bench more than thirty years. These
were Bushrod Washington, thirty-one
years, 1898 to 1929; John Marshall. thir-
ty-four years. 1901 to 1895: William
Johnson, thirty years. 1904 20 1894; Jo-
seph Story, thirty-four years, 1911 to
1S45; John Mclean, thIrty-two years,
1929 to 1861; James NJ Wayne, thirty
four years, 1885 to 1867: Stephen ].
Field, thirty-four years. 1863 to 1897.
and John NJ. Harlan, thirty-four years.
1877 to 1911. or the present members
of the court. the oldest in term of serv-
ice is Chief Justice Edward d. White,
who was appointed as an associate JUS
tice in 1898. in the first year of Cleve-
lands second term.