office on 4 March, 1874, and immediately entered upon its duties. He rigidly enforced the rules and precedents of the court in all matters of practice, watched the docket, and pushed the business rapidly. The second great period of constitutional interpretation began with his first year on the bench. The amendments were coming up for judicial exposition, and questions were to be settled as to the powers of congress, the rights of states, and the privileges of citizens. Some of the most important corporation cases that were ever argued in the United States came before him, involving the most intricate questions of interstate commerce. One of his associates on the bench says: “His administrative ability was remarkable. None of his predecessors more steadily or more wisely superintended the court or more carefully observed all that is necessary to its workings. He has written many of the most important opinions of the court — too many to be particularized.” Among these opinions are the decision on the head-money-tax cases in 1876, on the polygamy cases in 1879, on the election laws in 1880, on the powers of removal by the president, and the Virginia land cases in 1881, on the civil-rights act in 1883, on the Alabama claims, the legal-tender act, and the Virginia coupon-tax cases in 1885, on the express companies arid the extradition cases in 1886, and on the Kansas prohibition cases, the Virginia debt cases, the national banks, and the affair of the Chicago anarchists in 1887. A marked feature of Chief-Justice Waite's judicial career was the pronounced advocacy of the doctrine of state rights in his opinions. His conception of our novel and complex theory of government, and his independence of political considerations, are clearly shown in the Ku-klux, civil rights, and other decisions, in which he did not hesitate to set aside Republican legislation if he deemed it necessary; nor was he deterred, by fear of being accused of friendliness to large corporations, from pronouncing decisions in their favor — for example, his decision on the validity of the Bell telephone patents, which was his last official action. He was assigned to the 4th circuit, which included Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the Carolinas, and also acted as circuit judge in New York in consequence of the disability of Justice Ward Hunt. He often was known to hurry away from a state dinner, to bestow conscientious labor upon some important opinion, working late into the night. It will be remembered to his honor that he never allowed any whisperings of ambition to divert his attention from his duties. He made it clear to the country in the most emphatic language in 1876 that he would not be considered a possible candidate for president. He also declined to serve on the electoral commission. Judge Waite was from 1874 till his death one of the Peabody trustees of southern education, continuously served on one of the standing committees of that body, and was also on the special committee of three that urged on congress the bestowal of national aid for the education of the southern negroes. Robert C. Winthrop, chairman of the trustees, at their annual meeting in 1888, in the course of remarks on Judge Waite's life and character, said of him: “Coming to the office without the prestige of many, or perhaps of any, of those whom he followed, he had won year by year, and every year, the increasing respect and confidence of the whole country, and the warm regard and affection of all who knew him.” Services were held in the capitol by the two houses of congress before the removal of his remains to Toledo. In the U. S. circuit court in Charleston, S. C., where he had often presided, members of the bar of that city spoke in his praise, especially alluding to his kindliness of manner and impartiality during the reconstruction period. “Fortunate, indeed,” said one of the speakers, “that there was a man who, amidst the furious passions which rent the country and shook the land, could hold in his steady and equal hand the balances of justice undisturbed.” The degree of LL. D. was given him by Kenyon in 1874, and by the University of Ohio in 1879. Chief-Justice Waite was of medium height, broad-shouldered, compactly built, and erect. His step was light and firm, and all his movements were quick and decisive. His well-poised, classically shaped head was massive and thickly covered with handsome grayish hair. His manners were graceful and winning, but unassuming. He was one of the most genial of men, and his whole bearing commanded instant respect. His private character was singularly pure and noble. Judge Waite was a member of the Protestant Episcopal church, and a regular attendant on its services. Mrs. Waite, four sons, and one daughter survive him.
WAITE, Henry Randall, editor, b. in Copenhagen,
Lewis co., N. Y., 16 Dec., 1845. After
graduation at Hamilton in 1868, he was on the
staff of the Utica “Herald” in 1869-70. In 1873
he was graduated at Union theological seminary,
New York city, where he had edited the “University
Quarterly Review.” In 1871-'4 he was pastor
of the American church in Rome, Italy, and he
was on the staff of the New Haven “Journal” in
1875. In 1876-'7 he edited the “International
Review,” and in 1876-'80 was pastor of the
Presbyterian church in Pelham, N. Y. In 1876 he
organized the National reform league, and in
1876-'7 was president of the Political science
association of New York. In 1880-'3 he was a
special officer of the U. S. census. In 1885-'6 he
edited “The Citizen” in Boston, and he afterward
became editor of “Civics” in New York. In 1885
he founded the American institute of civics, of
which he has since been president. He was the
first to employ the term “civics” to designate
those branches of science that pertain to the
elevation of citizenship. He has published “The
Motive of St. Paul's Life” (Rome, 1873) and
“Illiteracy and the Mormon Problem” (Boston, 1885).
WAKEFIELD, Cyrus, manufacturer, b. in
Roxbury, Cheshire co., N. H., 7 Feb., 1811; d. in
Boston, Mass., 26 Oct., 1873. About 1827 he went
to Boston, where he engaged in trade. He originated
the rattan business in this country, and
discovered several methods of utilizing the rattan
waste, while of the split rattans he made furniture
and carriage-bodies. He established a large
factory for these manufactures in South Reading,
Mass., where his rattan-works cover seven acres of
ground. In 1868 South Reading voted to change
its name to Wakefield, in recognition of his
benefactions, particularly the gift of a town-hall that
cost $100,000. He also gave $100,000 to Harvard,
and left large bequests to benevolent objects.
WAKEFIELD, Nancy Amelia Woodbury Priest, poet, b. in Royalton, Mass., 7 Dec., 1836; d. in Winchendon, Mass., 21 Sept., 1870. Her maiden name was Priest, and in 1865 she married Lieut. Arlington C. Wakefield. Her fame rests on the popular poem “Over the River,” which first appeared in the Springfield, Mass., “Republican” in 1857. A collection of her poems was published by her mother, Mrs. Francis D. Priest, with a memoir by the Rev. Abijah P. Marvin, of Lancaster, Mass. (Boston, 1871).
