Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-02-14

mirabiy qualihed for the position. The
Rev. Mr.. Devore is an applicant and
is using oil the Church influence he cnn
command to obtain it. The wranc,e
will probably cause the adjustment of
the SUPPLEMENTARY. The Secretary Of
the Interior has expressed himself no
in favor of this mode of settling the
difficulty.
ArrORNEY-GENERAL WILLIAMS AND THE CHIEF
JUsTICEsHIP.
The fact that the nomination for
Chief Justice was first made of Attor.
ney- General Williams, the late Senator
from Oregon, doubtless among you to
whom he is SO well known has been
the occasion of considerable discussion.
both rs to his fitness for the position
and the cause which compelled his
withdrawal from fear of rejection. When
Judge Williams was urged for Cabinet
appointment on the plea that the Pacif-
ic Coast was entitled to representative
among the Presidents immediate ad-
visers, it was expected that he would
be made either Postmaster General or
Secretary of the Interior, in case of the
transfer, which was rumored at the
time, of Mr.. Delano, from that depart
ment to the Treasury. Not the most
remote idea was entertained of making
him Attorney General. This position
it was very properly thought should be
held by one of the acknowledged lead
ers of the bar, and this Williams can
not claim to be. He had been State
Judge in Iowa and O Territorial Judge
in Oregon. Previous and since which,
he had a comparatively limited prac-
tice Mt the bar He was not q man of
liberal education, nor had he made up
for the deficiency by industry and ap-
plication. He was simply an ordina-
ry country lawyer; that and nothing
more. Those who knew him were as
tonshed at his appointment as Attorney
General. Comments were very freely
made rs to his unftness and it was gem
orally believed that it would not belong
before it would be plainly apparent that
he was not equal to the duties of his
Office and was compelled to resign like
his predecessors, Alderman, who was
the first unfortunate departure from the
rule heretofore followed of selecting
the Attorney-G General from among tho
men of national reputation as lawyers.
What called more particularly public at
tention to his want of that high order Of
legal ability which the Attorney Gen
eral should possess, was his poor man
agement last fall of the "Credit Mobil-
Ter" suits, at Hartford, Connecticut
This was made the more apparent by
k1o !, kto l,,v
the part of the Union Pacific Railroad
Company. On the one side was Attor-
ney-General Williams and as Assistant
Counsel, Perry of Ohio, and Ashton of
Washington City; on the other, were
the great lawyers, Judge Curtis, for
merly of the Supreme Bench, Bartlett,
of Boston and Evarts of New York.
Perry OH whom had developed the prin
cipal preparation of the case was quite
sick at his homo in OHIO, and necessari-
ly absent. Ashton, who is q very COOL
Office lawyer but by no means conspic-
uous as an advocate, tainted in the
midst of his argument and had to be
carried out of court. The whole bur-
den then rested on Williams, and you
can imagine how he failed when the
court decided, that the United States
had not established it's right to be u
party to the suit. The Republican pa
pers of Hartford were very severe next
morning on Williams. They charac-
terized him as not up to the standard
of even n third-rate lawyer. 1t was
the remembrance of this trial which
caused Senators to oppose his confirm
alton as Chief Justice. They wanted II
man whom there could be no doubt en-
tertained as to his legal abilities, rs well
rs his integrity and party record. Ca
leb Gushing was defeated on the score
of his political antecedents, Williams
on that of belief in his incompetency.
He laboled also under the disadvantage
es of having no warm personal friends
zealously working to counteract this be-
lief. Selfish rather than genial in his
disposition, he had helped nobody and
in the hour of his need there was no.
body to help him. Whatever was
done for him was from motives OF poll
cy and not from the heart. When he
was placed in the Cabinet, Pacific
Coast people thought they had friend
at court, and were now sure OF their
proper proportion of favors, but they
quickly found out their mistake. Even
the personal appointments of his office
were made from States already over
crowded with representatives in the va
rious departments. The Pacific Coast
which had done so much for aim was
left out in the cold. Do you wonder
that those from his State who were here
diu not feel very kindly towards him,
ond remembering his ingratitude were
not very sorrowful over his defeat. 1t
is the old adage again verified, "No
politician can be untrue to his friends.
Sooner or later comes day of reckon
ing. His action in opposing the sur.
render of those of the Modocs who had
murdered the settlers on Lost River to