Page:Famous Living Americans, with Portraits.djvu/554

 EDWABD DOUGLASS WHITE 531 Senator White did not fill out his term in the United States Senate. In 1893 a vacancy occurred on the Federal Bench through the death of Justice Blatchf ord of New York, In the appointment of a successor to the latter. President Cleveland nominated a New York man. The appointee was unwelcome to the New York senators and they were able to hold up con- firmation in the Senate. Exasperated over the humiliating complication. President Cleveland executed a flank movement upon the opposition in February, 1894, by turning to the ex- treme South for his appointee in the person of Senator White. The senators confirmed the nomination of their popular col- league without a word and Senator White removed the toga for the ermine, becoming Associate Justice White. After six- teen years of distinguished service on the bench, he was se- lected by President Taf t in 1910 to succeed Melville W. Fuller as Chief Justice. How popular was President Taft's choice has been already indicated. Edward D. White is the ninth Chief Justice to preside over the Supreme Court, his predecessors in order having been, John Jay, of New York ; John Eutledge, of South Carolina ; Oliver Ellsworth, of Connecticut; John Marshall, of Virginia; Boger B. Taney, of Maryland; Salmon P. Chase, of Ohio; Morrison E. Waite, of Ohio; Melville W. Fuller, of Illinois. In breadth of learning and culture, in profoundness in the law, in mental precision and exactitude, Chief Justice White ranks with the best men of this notable list. In some respects his preparation and training for his exalted position are superior to those of any of his predecessors. He is not only well grounded in the principles of English and American jurispru- dence, based upon the English conmion law, but he also comes from the one state in the Union whose legal system is Bo- manic, based upon the Code Napoleon. Accordingly he brought to our national high court of justice a thorough knowl- edge as well of the Civil law. He is said to be the only Jus- tice who can argue a case in French. Indeed, he has been said to have a Latin mind, capable of delivering an extemporaneous speech in the tongue of Papinian and XJlpian. Be that as it may, it is certainly highly fitting that the head of our great