The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1873-12-10
A COURT PARTIsAN's SUCCESS.
A Home view Of the Career and Character OF
Attorney General Williams.
From the Utica, N. Y. ooserver.l

kfTOm tuc OLSh, Az H. ODuNA'N''I II
George ii. Williams, of New York, Iowa,
Oregon, Washington and elsewhere, is
Grants appointee for the office OF chlef-lu
tice of the Supreme Court OF the United
States. If any theorist or doctrlnaire
among our readers is inclined TO take issue
with the people Of our state, who lately, oy
an overwhelming majority, decided TO pre-
serve the elective judiciary, let him look at
Williams and hold his peace. For TINS Is
the ripe fruit of the appointive system un-
der the one-man power and the evil lnnu,
ences of gross partisanship. 1t will stand
as a monumental warning to the empire
state henceforth and forever. i
The new chief-justice links to the legal
aauirements of rural attorney the judi
cial attributes of an average justice OF the
peace, and the blind, but changeable preju-
dices of a crossroads politician. Circum-
stances have conspired heretofore TO give
him places beyond his deserts, and to lift
him above the level of the class to which
he belongs. But at each successive stage
of his progress he has betrayed the little.
ness of his nature and the narrowness of
his intellect While he was the creature
of an hour, liable at any moment TO sink
into the the inslgni6ance which he graces,
his character called for neither analyses
nor criticism but now that he is clothed
with the highest judicial honors Of the Re
public, we must needs look at the man be
fore we bow our heads in shame at the re-
proach which this appointment brings up
on the land.
Geo. Ii. Williams was born in Columbia
county this State)on the 23d of March, 1923
Hereceived a common school education, stu
died law and removed TO Iowa where hi
commenced practice. He made an imme
date strike for office, and joined his fort
unes TO the party which happened to be IL
power in that state at that time-the Dem
ocracy. In 1857 he was elected judge o.
the First judicial district. The entire vot
ing population of Iowa then about equajleC
that of Oneida county now, and Williams
judicial district numbered fewer citizens
than our Second assembly district In 1855:
he lost his office and cast about for another
place He served as one of the president
ial electors who cast the vote of tn,
state for Franklin Pierce, and immediate
~ after the inauguration of that Presiden
he FASTENED to Washington to claim his re
ward, After much importantly he sue
ceeded in getting himself appointed terri
torial Judge of Oregon. He held the ofhc
five years and then resigned to enter NOR
actively into politics. On the election o
Mr.. Lincoln Williams ofcourse, became
Republican Political adventurers Of hi
class invariably float their principles i
the current of patronage. In 1868 in tn
general scramble for office which folowe
Lincoln second election, NJ Williams 81
cured the United States sgnatorship froI
Oregon. His term expired in 1871, an
he put forth a desperate effort for ele
ton, but the feeling against him was 5
strong that his party was swept from poy
er and a Democrat was elected TO suecee
him. To heal his wonnds the presidel
named him as the successor Of Judge Ho;
in the office OF attorney general. There
disgraced himself by his infamous come
ton with the Louisiana outrage He d
not lack the audaeity TO acknowledge tn
what he called his construction of Law
was made for the benefit of the Repub
can party but every respectable Repub
can lawyer in the senate declared last wi
ter that this construction was not on
atrocious bat absurd. Let us review We
briefly that Louisiana business. On Il
fourth of December, 1879 +. II. Durell,
federal Judge issued an order commando
the federal marshal to take possession
the state house at New Orleans and garl
son the same with federal troops He tn,
issued another order setting forth by nan
the persons who by his pleasure, shou
constitute the legislature Every white III
in the list was federal office holder and sc
eral of them had not been candidates befo
the people These men took their sea
under the guard Of federal bayonets. al
proceeded TO impeach Gov. Warmoth al
TO install p B. 5. Pinchback, state sen
tor whose term had expired, in the exec
tive chair. The next day, December
George II. Williams telegraphed fro
Washington that the government approx
this action and recognized none but Il
usurpers. Williams then proceeded
prepare an opinion in which his ignC
rance of law was poorly concealed bya flo
of passionate invective and partisan ella
trap.
Aud this George Fl. Williams is the m
who is TO wear the robes of Marshall, Tan
and Chase lu the language of weste
contemporary, lit fatigues the indignatio
and we have nOthinp more IN say