Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-05-19
\ LONE REPRESENTATIVE
or DIXIE ON THE BENCH
lny Ths AssocInted press. }

Chief Justice Edward Douglas
White was. strictly speaking. the
Lone representative Of the south on
the supreme bench for number
Of years.
Coming from a family of judges
his father and his grandfather be.
fore him having been on the
bench, Chief Justice White had haC
a judicial inheritance as well as
legal training. His knowledge Of
the civil law was generally regard
eq/a the most profound of any
man that ever sat on the bench OF
the supreme court of the United
States. He developed a specially
for questions of interstate com
merce, and his contribution to the
law of the land probably VII be a
permanent one.
He was born in the parish of La
fourche, Louisiana, November 3,
1S45, His parents We're Catholics,
and he was of that faith. His edu-
cation was in Catholic institutions.
in his early youth he attended the
Fchool at Mount st. Marys, near
Emmitsburg. Nd; later he entered
the Jesuit college in New Orleans,
and finally he went to Georgetown
college of Washington, d. c.
Chief Justice White served III
the confederate army during the
civil war; practiced law among the
people Of Louisiana; and became n
sugar planter on its lowlands. His
ability and high character were
recognized by the people in re-
peated commissions as a public Of
fetal. In 1874, he was elected as
senator in the Louisiana legisla-
ture. -Four years later, he was APP
pointed associate justice of the SUI
preme co6rt of the state.
In 1891 Mr.. White became a ma
tional figure. A senatorial contest
was wagod in Louisiana, and he en-
tered the race. He had managed
the campaign of Governor Nichols
for reelection and had been
prominent in the reform element
of Louisiana. He had fought Wig
orously in favor of the anti-lot-
terry movement. The legislature
finally chose him to succeed Sem
ator Eustis
Chief Justice White was in the
senate three years before he was
elevated to the bench of the SUI
preme court of the United States
by President Cleveland, in 1894.
During that period, he distin-
guished himself On two occasions.
once was in the debate of the anti
option law, when Senator White
made a profound legal argument
against the constitutionality of the
measure. The other occasion was
during the struggle over the repeal
Of the sherman act, when he adj
the views President Cleve-
land was known to entertain on
The subject. His nomination to the
bench ended a memorable contest
in the senate. Two New Workers.
bad been nominated by President
but both faiIed of con-
firmation. Throwing to the winds
the custom which for eighty-eight
years had kept a New York man
on the bench, Mr.. Cleveland named
Senator White. He was confirmed
within an hour.
Almost as unusual as his ap-
pointment as associate justice was
his elevation to the chief Justice
ship. In 1910, when President Taft
was besought by various factions
II the republican party to appoint
'irst this man and then that to
succeed Chief Justice Fuller, the
president boldly disregarded the
custom regarding the selection OF
Justices from his own party and
hat precedent frowning on the
selection of an associate justice to
he chief justiceship, and sent to
he senate the nomination of JUS
ice White. His nomination was
confirmed Immediately.