Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-07-01
SENATE BY VOTE OF
60 TO 4 0. KS TAFT
AS CHIEF JUSTICE
REPUBLiCAN LEADERS OPPOSE
NOMINATION OF FORMER PRES
fDENT TO HEAD OF SUPREME
BENeH-AMBfTfON OF LIFE
TIME IS ACHIEVED.

dent William Howard Taft was nomi
mated late Thursday 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 confirmed 60
to a. The opposition consisted OF
Borah, Johnson and La Toilette. Re.
publicans, and Watson, Georgia, Dem
ocrat.
Senators Borah and Johnson led the
fight on the floor and Taft was de
Tended by dozen senators, including
Knox of Pennsylvania. kellogg Of
Minnesota, and Willis of Alabama,
minority leader Smith of South Caro-.
lima Oyerman of North Carolina, and
Broussard of Louisiana, Democrats.
Senators Borah and Johnson We're
understood to have centered their
fight on Mr.. Taft's legal training, ex-
perience and qualifications. Senator
Johnson was said to have character
feed the appointment as purely po-
litical." He said Mr. Taft had lacked
u
legal experience to fit himself for the
highest judicial post of the nation.
The defense of Mr.. Taft it was said,
was led by Democrats, Senator Tn
derwood said Mr. Taft has made him
self beloved by the South largely
through the appointment Of a south,
erner, the late Chief Justice White.
Throughout his public career Mr..
Taft has desired the chief iusticehip
He always has felt himself better
fitted by temperament for the judici-
airy than for the executive branch Of
the government.
When he was secretary of War un-
der Roosevelt he is said to have been
offered the choice Of remaining in the
cabinet or taking a vacancy on the
court, an alternative which caused
him many hours Of anxious considers
ton President Roosevelt is under
stood to have Coungeled against aC-
ceptance of the justiceship. feeling
that his Secretary Of War would sue
coed to the presidency
AS President il later became Nj
Taft's duty not hnlYto choose u chief
Justice but to make five other aps
pointments to Che highest court On
the men he selected only two Justiccs
Vandemander apd Pitney, remain u
serve with him. y ths FnH ii
Although he cahie to the ptesidahcy
Is citizen of Connecticut" Soon after
ne left the Write fTouse he made New
Haven biz .leegall residence. >, 2g9eptinS
a positfb;hf ffilld haHsi ptSfe4syt
of international NV at Yale fniTcf-
sity, from which fss,gradaated III
1878, Mr., Taft preparsdffor THE prac.
tice of law at the Cincinnati Law
School, where he was graduated two
years later fxtv.,g-;s-, I. ta+sS 4
Mr.. Taft's f4talnlfether. peter 'tafts
had been idTgs in Vermont and his
father. Alphonso Taft. left tie bench
TO serve as Attorney General in the
cabinet OF President Grant AT % Mr.
Taft became assistant prosecuting at
torney at Hamilton. O, and after that
for thirty-two years he held a commits
sion of public Offices which left him
little time for the practice of his pro
fession.
He was a Judge Of the Superior
Court of Ohio and judge Of a Federal
Circuit Court in the same state.
At the signing of the armistiCe he
led in the movement for world peace
'~ncert, and later brought down on
his head some of the btterest criti-
oism of his career by advocating rati
fication Of the league of nations Re
publican senators were particularly
severe
In the last presidential campaign
Mr. Taft stood with his party in op-
rosition to the league in its present
form.
Mr. Taft is in his cath year and is
said by his friends to be in robust
health, He has lost considerable
weight since he left the presidency.