8 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁registered ▁Democr ats ▁in ▁Massachusetts , ▁it ▁is ▁un th ink able ▁that ▁there ▁isn ' t ▁a ▁qualified ▁Dem ocrat ▁to ▁hold ▁down ▁any ▁office ". ▁Whit ney ' s ▁was ▁confirmed ▁by ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Governor ' s ▁Council ▁on ▁a ▁ 6 ▁to ▁ 3 ▁vote . ▁ ▁A ▁labor ▁dispute ▁between ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Trans it ▁Author ity ▁and ▁Car men ' s ▁Union ▁led ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁General ▁Court ▁to ▁appro ve ▁Governor ▁John ▁A . ▁Vol pe ' s ▁request ▁for ▁emer gency ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁M . T . A . ▁Vol pe ▁chose ▁Whit ney ▁to ▁manage ▁the ▁M . T . A . ▁for ▁the ▁ 4 5 - day ▁emer gency ▁period ▁that ▁began ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁ ▁Later ▁that ▁year , ▁Vol pe ▁appointed ▁Whit ney ▁pres iding ▁justice ▁of ▁the ▁Con cord ▁District ▁Court . ▁He ▁was ▁sw orn ▁in ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁ ▁Military ▁career ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁Whit ney ▁led ▁a ▁unit ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ' s ▁Amer ical ▁Division ▁during ▁the ▁Gu adal can al ▁Camp aign . ▁He ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Silver ▁Star ▁for ▁gall antry ▁in ▁action . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁Whit ney ▁was ▁str icken ▁with ▁mal aria ▁and ▁sent ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁where ▁he ▁promoted ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁colon el ▁and