The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-01-08
NJ UilIi.n,-s

lFron1 the Salem (Oregon) Mercury, Dec. lsl
.Ifthere is one sign of the times mOrs
than another--and where they are SO
abundant-whieh causes the prudent and
conservative man to doubt the stability
of our Government, it Is the custom now
grown prevalent Of filling Offices and posi-
tions of quendam honor. and dignity with
men of little or no character, and Of small
requirements. Although it is essential to
the community that good men should be
appointed to Offices Of trust, yet the oeca-
sional promotion of medium maA TO
high position might be overlooked, but
the persistent practice of appointing men
to noble and sacred places, who, instead
of filling them, coptrSct them and reduce
them to their sYn stature, is that OF which
we now complain, and the effect OF which
we deplore. We lose awe and respect which
should be due the Office on account of
the incumbent. The highest office IN
America has, hitherto, unquestlonably
been the Office of Chief Justice OF the Su
preme Court of the United States. It has
been higher in its tenure, as 1t Is for life; !;
HIGHER IN the interests committed to and
governed by it; = higher IN its social posi-
tibn and in the character Of lis incumbe
IT has been higher than any other until
the greatest legal culture IN =Sll-the va
rious sources from which our jurisdiction
is derived, as well as IN international law
combined with thorough knowledge Of
history, an acquaintance with the scien-
ces and the perfect familiarity of alwell
educated gentleman, with bellies LetLTes Ii
terature We object to the appointment
of George n. Williams to the position of
Chief ustice, not because he has not all Of
the necessary qualifications, but because
he has none of them. He Is politician
in the technical sense of the word, as con-
tradistinguished from a statesman. He
spent the early part of his life, at least
the first that Is known of it, as Judge of
a local Court in Iowa, lolling on the sun
ny side of dry goods box, wagging his
peculiarly shaped under jaw (from whence
his familiar soubriquet Flaxbrake) for the
delectation of an audience arrayed in
buckskin breeches. was finally thought
that he was disposed of forever ny send
ing hIm to Oregon as a Judge of Terri
torial Court, and 1t was probably expec-
ted, from the estimate at that time made
Of OregoniAns, that be would be heard Of
no more, unless, like Sidney Smiths mis-
sionary TO the Cannibal Islands, he might
be served up some day cold-for lunch.
For many long and weary years he "heard
himself talk, and whenever in the tay-
efns of Salem, and the 4bar-Fooms- of Eu-
gene City, or the saloons Of Corvallis two
or three were gathered together, there
was he In the midst of them. After max
ing several unsuccessful attempts for poli=
tical preferment, he at last found an open
ing. The war came, the cauldron boiled,
and the substratum came to the surface.
Geo. 81. Williams entered for the race for
the Senate of the United States against
one Thomas H Pearne Brother Pearne
was shoemaker, q preacher and politi-
clan. Yet, as Charles -ReacIs says of one
of his heroes, "his three mediocrities fell
50 far short of one talent that he was Of
ten without his dinner" The Chief Jus
tice. beat Brother Pearne, and then hs
flung the stars and stripes to the breeze,
waved the eagle and rode into political
preferment. In the infancy of the Re-
public some innocent might have inquir-
ed, .'With this early and later training
where did he get the eruditicns necessary
for the position p The anAWer, in the dot
age Of the Republic is Important. He
rides en- the tidal wave Of party and sub
serviency. "Stand- back, old fogy, this
is the new LHaAienL thai grew Ont l0f the
war. - OGe6rg6 h Williams has Ona trait
of character which probably, caused his
promotion. He IS clay IN the hands Of
the potter No clique or set of men or
women evea got hold Of or surrounded
him that they did not leave their impress
on him, and mould him to their shapes
He viii not be a refractory Chief ustice.
Z When the New York Herald gives anoth.
er essay on Tendency Of the times to
Qnaekery. Greenbacks, Shoddy sisand
-C@sorisnn," let 1t mention Grant and his
I Chief JuItice alongside of Helmbold and
" Bacht.'t We are accustomed to hear
of Marshall, Story and 'Taney,a " III We
ever hear of Williams, except as George
II. Williams or Chief Justice Williams,
a ard even if men did speak. of MsrshAn,
Taiey and Williams, would it not Tesen1-
BILE in its falling of the saluLetion Of the
Mussulman fruit Eenders.in Constantine
pie, "In the name of the ProPhetA-fgs." I"
4 e.a- - u .ar. = IA.