Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1921-05-21
MOURNS AT
FUNERAL TO-DAY OF
JUSTICE E. ID. WHITE

whole nation, as represented by its
joined today in paying
last honors to Chief Justice Edward
White Of the United States supreme
court, who died an Wednesday.
BY order of the President, all ex-
ecutIve department activities were
suspended for the funeral this morn
ing and will remain closed all day.
The Senate stood adjourned until
Monday and all courts were In re-
cess,
The funeral was private by re-
quest of the family, who desired that
in no sense il be made an official
occasion. But the position the chief
justice held in the affairs of the
country made it impossible to elimin-
ate what amounted to official mourn
ing.
Among those attending, besides
President Harding, were Justice
Whites associates on the supreme
bench as honorary pallbearers; Vice
President Coolidge; select committees
Of the house and senate and full dele
cations from congress, as we'll as
jurists from his native state OF
and cabinet members.
Funeral arrangements provided for
high requiem mass at St. Matthews
fol.ovin. ceremonies ut the
family hon,e. Eurla. e to be i'm
Ga. Hill ccul*tery, Cecl getown.
Simultaneous With TIE hour Of the
funeral, PresIlCnt Harding ordered
the American flag wherever flown, to
be half masted and funeral salute
Of seventeen guns to be fired at Am
erican military and naval stations
the world.
Chief Justice Edward Douglas White
was. strictly speaking. the. lone repre-
>"n;sfVc Of the South on the supreme
bench for a number of years.
Coming from family Of judges, his
father and his grandfather
having been on the bench. Chief Justice
White had had a judicial inheritance aa
well as legal training. His knowledge of
the civil law was enerally rearded as
the most profound Of any man that
ever sat on the bench Of the Supreme
Court Of the United States He develop.
ed n speciality for questions OF inter-
state commerce. and his contribution to
the law Of the land probably will be A
permanent one
lie was born in the parish OF Laforche.
La. November 3. 1916. His parents we're
Catholics. and he was of thar faith. His
education was in Catholic institutions.
In his early youth. he ATTENDED the school
at Mount 1t. Mary's near Emmitsburg,
Md: later he entered the Jesuit College
In New Orleans. and finally he went to
Georgetown College. Of Washington, u.
c.
Chief Justice White served in the Con.
federare army durin the Civil War; prac.
ticed law among the people of Louisiana:
and became a sugar planter on It's low
lands Ills ability and high character
were recognized by the people In ie-
peated commissions as a public official.
W 1870. h. was elected a. Senator I'm
The Louisiana legislature -Four years Ia
ter. be was appointed associate Justice
of the Supreme Court Of the state.
In 1881 MIR. White became a national
figure a senatorial contest wae waRed
IN Louisiaoa. and be entered the race.
tie had managed the campaign or Cover.
nor Nichols for reelection and had been
prominent In the reform element ot
Louisiana. lie had fought vigorously i'm
iavor OF the anti-lottery movement. The
legislature finally chose him "a succeed
Senator Eustice.
Chief Justice White was in the Senate
three years before he was elevated 10 the
bench of the Supreme Court Of the Unit
'd States by President Cleveland. in 1874
During thar period. ~ distinguished him.
sell on two occasions. Once was In the
debate on the Anti-Option Law, when
Senator White made n profound legal
argument against the cunstitutionalty ot
he measure. The other occasion was dur
Ing the struggle over the repeal Of the
Sherman act. when he advocated the
views President Cleveland was known
{" entertain on the subject His nomina.
fi"n to the bench ended memorable con-
test IN the senate. Two New Workers
had been nominated by President CIeve.
land. hut both failed ~ confirmation.
Throwing to the winds the custom which
fgur lightweight wears had kept a New
York man on the bench Mr. Cleveland
named Senator White lie was confirm.
rd within mn hour
Almost a unusual as his appointment
~ associate Justice was his elevation 10
the chief justiceship. In 1910, when
President Taft was besouht BY various
factions RI the Republican party to ap.
point first this man and then that In
succeed Chief Justice Fuller, the Preg.
lent boldly disregarded the custom re-
garding the selection Of justices from his
Dwn party and the precedent frowning
pn the promotion Of an associate justice
TO the chief justiceship. and sent 70 the
senate the nomination Of Justice White.
His nomination was confirmed imms.
iiately.