AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PENNSYLVANIAN
divided pretty evenly with very much bitterness of feeling. The political forces urged me to appoint S. J. McCarroll, who was counsel for the Dairy and Food Bureau, and about half the bar gathered to his support. The other half vindictively objected. To have gratified either side, after the contest grew warm, would have raised a storm. As it happened a year or two before there had been a vacancy in the Superior Court and every member of the Dauphin County bar had signed a petition to me to appoint a neighbor, Thomas H. Capp of Lebanon. I did not appoint him, but I had kept the petition. One evening Olmsted came to the executive mansion to urge the appointment of McCarroll. After he had talked to me for half an hour, I said to him: “Olmsted, I cannot appoint McCarroll,” and I gave him reasons. He was disappointed. Then I said to him: “How would Capp do?” He was astonished, but I knew that Capp and he were close personal, professional and political friends. A twinkle came into his eye and he departed. To the surprise of everybody, I appointed Capp from outside the county, but the joke of it was that not a member of the Bar could object for the reason that he knew he had endorsed Capp for the higher court. And the dove of peace folded its wings in absolute silence.
