82 Presidential Addresses 



upon whom Yale ever conferred a degree of LL.D., 

 a man who, having won high position at the bar, 

 and then served as Solicitor-General at Washington, 

 was appointed to the United States bench. He was 

 then asked to sacrifice himself, to give up his posi 

 tion in order to go to the other side of the world 

 to take up an infinitely difficult, an infinitely danger 

 ous problem, and do his best to solve it. He has 

 done his best. He came back here the other day. 

 The man has always had the honorable ambition to 

 get upon the Supreme Court, and he knew that I had 

 always hoped that he would be put on the Supreme 

 Court, and when he was back here a few months 

 ago, and there was a question of a vacancy arising, 

 I said to him: "Governor, I think I ought to tell 

 you that if a vacancy comes in the Supreme Court" 

 (which I knew would put him for life in a position 

 which he would especially like to have), "I do not 

 see how I could possibly give it to you, for I need 

 you where you are." He said to me: "Mr. Presi 

 dent, it has always been my ambition to be on the 

 Supreme Court, but if you should offer me a justice 

 ship now, and at the same time Congress should take 

 away entirely my salary as Governor, I should go 

 straight back to the Philippines, nevertheless, for 

 those people need me, and expect me back, and be 

 lieve I will not desert them." He has gone back, 

 gone back as a strong friend among weaker friends 

 to help that people upward along the difficult path 

 of self-government. He has gone to do his part 

 and a great part in making the American name a 



