Pueblo chieftain., 1921-07-30


lied when William Howard Taft was
court of the United States. The form
er president, according to his close
friends, is more pleased with the new
post of great dignity which he now
occupies than he was when the great
est office in the gift of the American
people-the presidenry-was his.
Mr.. Taft is the tenth Chief Justice
OF the highest tribunal of tn. land,
Since the court was created in 1889 the
successive presiding heads have been
John Jay. of New York; John Rut-
ledge. of South Carolina: Oliver Ellis
worth. of Connecticut; John Marshall.
OF virginia: Roger p. fancy. OF Mary
land: Salmon P. Chase, of Ohio: Nor
rison r. Waite, of Ohio: Melville w.
Fuller. of Illinois, and Edward Doug
las White, OF Louisiana. who died re-
Gently.
1t is curious fact that the man
who was called the father of the SUI
preme court later became chief justice
Senator Ellsworth. He was chairman
OF the committee of the senate which
drafted the measure creating the court
and the entire judiciary system for
the United States. The bill was APP
| proved by George Washington. then
president almost as soon ms II was
presented to him. and he sent to the
senate the names Of the first justices,
W
position. The first court consisted OF
Chief Justice John Jay and Associate
Justices John Rutledge. of South Caro-
lima: James Wilson, OF Pennsylvania.
William Cushing OF Massachusetts.
Robert II. Harrison. of Maryland.
and John Blair. of Virginia Bushrod
Washington. a nephew OF President
Washington. earnestly pesought n
place on the bench OF the supreme
court. but George steadfastly refused
Ia .f III. II. l..
to guard himself from the charge of
Partially to relatives which would Ger
tainly have been made had ne made
the appointment.
The first three chief Justices were
prominent in the colonies and the new
nation as statesmen and revolutionary
leaders, Jay had been one of the franz
ers of the Constitution. had been min
lister to Spain. president Of the con-
rress and chief justice for tho state Of
New York. and had negotiated the
peace treaty Of iIs2-sS. Washington.
who appointed the first three chief
Justices. gave Jay his choice OF posts
under tho Federal government. and
the supreme court was tn choice.
His official life in that post was brief.
ms was that Of the two succeeding
Justices
After negotiating the peace treaty
with England and upon his return.
jay. having resigned ns chief justice,
was elected governor Of New York.
jay, despite his accomplishments and
education. was religious higot. and
sought TO exclude Roman Catholics
from American citizenship, but
failed.
4 SIX Months Tenure
John Rutledgc. the next chief
justice. was appointed in 1928 when
jag resigned. but held office only six
months, the senate having rejected the
nomination because Of his opposition
to the Jay treaty. and because OF al
legged mental infirmity resulting from
exposure in the swnmps of South
Carolina during the Revolution He
was a delegate to the first congress.
held in New York. and In l7Ii was
sent to the Continental congress He
was the first governor Of South Caro-
lima.
Ellsworth was appointed in 1896 He
was prominent as a statesman dur
ing the hitter part of the Revolution
airy war. and credit is given him for
standing out against the dominance of
the larger states, and securing equal
representation in the senate Tor all of |
the states. He held out strongly and
successfully for maintaining the
sovereignty OF the Rtato Governments I
As youth he started to study theol- |
ogy, but CHANGED to the law and soon /,
attained success
John Marshall the next chief !
Justice was appointed by John Adams /
"A month before. the inausuration OF |
Thomas Jefferson and served from
1901 until 1885 Marshall was soldier
during the Revolution lighting at
Bra ndywinc Germantown Iron Hi. |
Monmouth and stony Point. and was
with Washington's troops during the |
terrible winter Mt Valley Forge Mar |
shall was responsible for the decision
that the supreme court is the fudge of
the laws OF the land. and that laws In
conflict with tho Constitution shall not
stand
Marshall was the last of the Revolu-
tonary heroes and statesmen to he
appointed os chief Justice. Roger r
fancy who was appointed to succeed
Marshall, was scarcely of azc at the
time of Washington's death His ap-
pointment was made by President
jackson. and he served from 1886 until
1864. Tho senate once refused to con-
nrm Tancy as secretary OF the treas
ury, the first time nomination to n
cabinet post was turned down.
fancy married n sister OF Francis
Scott Key, author OF the national