Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-07-06
Former President Taft New
Chief Justice.


nominated late today by President
Harding to. be chief justice OF the
United States and his nomination was
confirmed by the senate in executive
session.
The nomination was not confirmed
without opposition, however, and a
roll, call was demanded. The opposi-
ton was understood to have been
voicel by Senator Boah, Idaho, john
son. California and LaFollette, Wis
consin, all Republicans, who were
said to have criticised Mr.. Taft's rec
ord and his nomination.
[ On the roll call, however, only four
votes were cast against confirmation.
These were by Senators Borah, john
son and LaFollette, and Senator Wat
son, Democrat, Georgia.
The final vote was so to 4. An
agreement was reached not to make
public roll call.
The senate's doors were closed for
discussion of the nomination after
suggestions that Mr.. Taft be confirm
ed in open executive session, because
he is a former president had been re-
jected by opponents. Senators Borah
and johnson led the fight on the floor
in opposition to Mr.. Taft, while ne
was defended by about dozen SEN
ators, including Knox, Pennsylvania;
Kellogg, Minnesota and Willis OF
Ohio, Republicans and Underwood,
Alabama, Democrats minority lead
er; Smith of California, overman Of
North Carolina, and Broussard OF
Louisiana, Democrats.
Legal Training Criticised.
Senators Borah and johnson were
understood to have centered their
fight on Mr.. Taft's legal training, ex-
perience and qualifications. Accord
ing to reports filtering out from the
senate chamber Senator johnson was
said to have declared that Mr.. Taft's
appointement was purely political"
A similar charge, it was reported
was made by Senator Borah.
Senator johnson, it was stated. as
serted that Mr.. Taft had not regard
ed himself as a lawyer but as poll
tician and had abandoned" his pro-
fession after leaving the White
House. The California senator, it was
reported, said he had tried to disre-
gard personal objections to the nom
inee and was voicing his opposition
solely because Mr.. Taft had lacked,
for nearly generation or more, any
legal experience which would fit him
for the higehst judicial post of the
nation.
Reference was made, it was said,
by Senator Borah to the drafting"
from the supreme bench by the Re-
publican party of Secretary Hughes
to become the presidential candidate
of the Republican party. In this con-
nection it was stated that Mr.. Borah
made the statement that, having
taken an able lawyer from the su-
preme bench four years ago, and
made a politician of him, it was now
proposed to take POLITICIAN man
who has devoted practically his ma
ture life to politics-and put him on
the supreme bench in the interest OF
party politics"
Defense by Democrats.
The defense of Mr.. Taft, it was
said, was led by Democrats. Senator
Underwood said that Mr.. Taft had
made himself "beloved by the South"
adding that this sentiment was due
largely to Mr.. Taft's appointment
when president of Southerner, the
late Chief Justice White, to the high
est judicial position of the counry.
Similar statements, it was reported,
were made by Senator Broussard OF
Louisiana, the native state of the late
chief justice.
Mr.. Taft's legal learning was
praised, it was said, by Senators Knox
and Willis, the latter referring to his
experience on the bench in Ohio.
Senator Kellogg, it was said, re-
ferred to the positions of honor held
by Mr.. Taft in bar and similar as
sociations.
Southern senator's it was reported,
with the exception Of Mr.. Watson of
Georgia, were solidly behind the ap-
pointment. Senator Smith South
Carolina, it was stated, discussed the
a~,,Jipr Mr.. Taft