The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-05-19

| Washington, May 19.--Edward Doug
lass White, chief justice OF the SUI
preme court, died at 2 o'clock this
morning in a hospital where he sub
mitted to an operation last Friday.
He was rs years old. Chief Justice
White was unconscious since late
Tuesday night, when an attack OF
acute diation of the heart occurred.
Chief Justice Edward Douglass
White was, strictly speaking, the lone
representa- We of the south on the
supreme bench for number OF years.
Coming from family of judges, his
father and his grandfather before him
having been on the bench. Chief JUS
tice White had had judicial inheri-
tance as we'll as legal ira ming. His
knowledge of the civil law was gen.
orally regarded as 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 commerce,
and his contribution to the law OF the
land probably viii be permanent
one.
He was born in the parish Of La
fourche, La, November 8, 1916. His
parents were Catholics, and he was OF
that faith HIS education was In
Catholic institutions. In his early
youth he attended the school at
Mount ST. Mary's near Emmitsburg,
Md; later he entered the Jesuit col
lege in New Orleans, and finally he
went to Georgetown college, OF Wash
ington, d. C.
Chief Justice VIII te served in the
Confederate army during the Civil
war; practiced law among the people
of Louisiana; and became sugar
planter on its lowlands. His ability
and high character were recognized
by the people in repeated commits
sions as a public official. In 1874, he
was elected as senator in the Loulsi-
ana legislature. Four years later, he
was appointed associate justice OF the
supreme court Of the state
Becomes U. S. Senator
In 1891 Mr.. White became nation
al figure A senatorial contest was
waged in Louis ana, and he entered
the race. He had managed the cam
paign of Governor Nichols for re-elec-
ton and had been prominent in the
reform element of Louis ana. He had
fought vigorously in favor of the anti
lottery movement The legislature
finally chose him to succeed Senator
Eustii
Chief Justice White was in the
senate three years before he was ele-
waited to the bench of che supreme
court Of the United States by Presi-
dent Cleveland in 1894. During that
period, he distinguished himself on
two occasions. Once was in the de-
bate on the anti-opt on law, when
Senator White made a profound legal
argument against the constitutionality
of the measure. The other occasion
was during the struggle over the re-
peal of the Sherman act when he ad.
vocated the views President Cleye-
land was known to entertain on the
subject. His nomination to the
bench ended a memorable contest in
the senate TWO New Workers had
been nominated by Pres dent Cleve-
land, but both failed of confirmation.
Throwing to the winds the custom
which for elghty-e ght years had kept
New York man on the bench, Mr..
Cleveland named Senator White. He
was confirmed within an hour.
Promoted by Taft.
Almost as unusual as his appoint
ment as associate justice was his ele-
vat on to the chief justiceship. IN
1910, when President Taft, besought
by various fact ons of the Republican
party to appoint first this man and
then that to succeed Chief Justice
Fuller the president boldly disregar.
ed the custom regarding the selection
of justices from his own party and
that precedent frowning on the promo
tion of an assoc ate Justice to the
chief just ceship, and sent to the SEN
ate the nomination Of Justice White.
His nomination was confirmed Inn
mediately.