Page:The autobiography of a Pennsylvanian.djvu/339

 Judge of the Superior Court, and on it were Mayer Sulzberger, David T. Watson, a Democrat, Lyman D. Gilbert and Judge John A. McIlvaine of Washington County, of whom the justices of the Supreme Court held a high opinion. He looked it over and said:

“I do not want Rice. If you appoint him I shall have to oppose him myself in the convention. He is one of those Yankees from around Wilkes-Barre, and you cannot trust one of them.”

I said:

“Senator, if you are opposed to him, I shall not appoint him.”

During the conversation he said to me:

“It would be a gracious thing upon your part to appoint John P. Elkin.”

“It would be too plain, and, since Elkin has been rejected for the governorship, I do not think I could put him on the Supreme Court.”

Presently he said:

“I will send tomorrow for Lyman D. Gilbert.”

This interview with Gilbert occurred in the mansion in my absence. He was not prone to giving unnecessary confidence and what then occurred neither he nor Gilbert ever informed me. I saw him later and this was his suggestion:

“McCollum was a Democrat. There is no other Democrat on that Bench. How would it do to appoint Sam Thompson?”

Samuel G. Thompson was the son of a former chief justice, he had himself served a brief term on the Supreme Court with satisfaction to everybody, and he had a large practice in Philadelphia and was conceded to be an able lawyer. From the professional point of view no better solution could have been found and it was accompanied with a concession to the proprieties. With very little hesitation I appointed Thompson. These are the exact facts. What were the motives of Quay anybody may amuse Rh