▁a ▁Republican , ▁and ▁second ▁because ▁White ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁inc umb ent ▁associate ▁justice ▁to ▁be ▁appointed ▁as ▁chief ▁justice . ▁( John ▁R ut ledge , ▁a ▁former ▁associate ▁justice , ▁had ▁been ▁given ▁a ▁re cess ▁appointment ▁as ▁chief ▁justice ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 5 ). ▁Non eth eless , ▁his ▁selection ▁was ▁quickly ▁confirmed ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate , ▁and ▁he ▁took ▁the ▁jud icial ▁o ath ▁of ▁office ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 9 1 0 . ▁ ▁White ▁was ▁generally ▁seen ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁conserv ative ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁court . ▁He ▁origin ated ▁the ▁term , ▁the ▁" Rule ▁of ▁Re ason ." ▁But , ▁White ▁also ▁wrote ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁decision ▁u ph old ing ▁the ▁constitution ality ▁of ▁the ▁Adam son ▁Act , ▁which ▁mand ated ▁a ▁maximum ▁eight - hour ▁work ▁day ▁for ▁rail road ▁employees . ▁ ▁As ▁chief ▁justice ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁the ▁Court ' s ▁work ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁cases ▁brought ▁each ▁year ▁before ▁the ▁court , ▁and ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁cler ks ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁all ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Court , ▁the ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁held ▁week ly ▁meet ings ▁with ▁fellow ▁jur ists , ▁assigned ▁all ▁the ▁cases ▁and ▁wrote ▁the ▁majority ▁opinions ▁in ▁ 7 1 1 ▁cases , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁ 1 5 5 ▁diss ent ing ▁opinions , ▁all ▁oppos ing ▁income