Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-24
EMINENT STATESMEN TO PAY
TRIBUTE AT TANEY MEMORIAL
Hughes to Address Throng
at dwelling of Bust in
Frederick.
Chief Justice of Slave Era
Stirred Entire Nation by
Decisions.
BY JAMES wAiDo FAwcETT.

q
On Saturday Chief Justice Charles
Evans Hughes, several associate JUS
tices of the Supreme Court, Gov.
Albert G. Ritchie of Maryland and other
eminent lawyers and statesmen viii
meet at Frederick Md, to unveil a
memorial to Roger Brooke fancy, Chief
Justice of the United States from 1885
until his death in 1864. Mr.. Hughes
will deliver the principal address.
The memorial, bust of Justice
Taney. has been erected in Court House
Park. near the memorial placed there
in 1929 to Thomas Johnson, first Gov
ernor of Maryland, fancy practlced
law on the site of the court house.
Little known to the present genera
ton. fancy was in his own day widely
famous for his connection with develop
ments in national politics which by
their nature and because of the color
full personalities involved were subjects
of violent controversies of countrywide
scope. He was either loved or warmly
hated in his own time; there was no
middle ground of appreciation upon
which bipartisan men might meet 10
their consideration of his services. one
large group of citizens praised him IN
ordinately; another group, equally>1arge,
condemned him without reservation.
were defeated in the end. he passed into
oblivion with the lost cause. Only now,
more than three score years after his
death, is he being adequately remem-
bered and justly appraised.
Aided by Scholarly Father.
Taney was born in Calvert County,
Nd, on ST. Patrick's day, lTT. nc
was of cultured Roman Catholic parent
age, and grew up in refined ana COM
Portable home. His father was
a scholar. well qualified to guide his
son into a successful career. The boy
was sent to Dickinson College, Carlisle,
Pa, and was graduated there In l19o,
He studied law at Annapolis from 1875
to 1899, and was duly admitted 10 tne
bar in the latter year. In this lorna
tive period of his life he had Tor MS
mentor jeremiah Chase, then a judge
of the General Court.
AT the suggestion OF his father, ne
began practice in Calvert County, where
his neiehbors manifested their interest
in the young man by electing MN 10
the House of Delegates, 1779-178O.
every ether member of the House was
his senior in point of age, but 1t Is
tradition that none excelled him for
the maturity of his opinions and the
vigor of his dialectic powers. He failed
Of reelection in the campaign Of 1880
and, perhaps prompted by this ex-
perience. he decided to remove to Fred
erick, a town in which he was not
known and in which he seems to have
expected that ne might be able to make
an honorable name for himself indie
pendent of family assistance. His ex-
pectations were fully justified. Fred
erick remained his home for % years.
It was not long before his acuteness,
and eloquence brought
him a lucrative business. and eventually
he attained such popularity in the
of Frederick that he was
retained in the very most important
and most intricate cases and the ac-
leaders of the State bar
were brought to confront him.
His father had dreamed OF political