The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-03-06
SUPREME COURT REFLECTIONS.
"REMINISCENCES OF FORMER AID.
ILLUSTRATIONS.

President Met Strong Opposi.
ton in His Day-Cleveland's Recent
Experience Has Been the Fate OF
Others.
A. W.B. in Augusta Chronicle.
President Cleveland's strenuous Of.
forts to appoint a successor to the late
Samuel Blatchford as Associate Justice
OF the Supreme Court, recalls the SINH.
lar efforts OF President Grant to ap.
point q successor to Salmon p. Chase
as Chief Justice twenty years ago.
Each made two nominations that failed
OF confirmation, and u third that was
confirmed with difficulty. In each case
the Presidents party was in the ma.
jority in the Senate.
Chief Justice Chase died in New
York on May I, 1873. On the first day
OF the following December President
Grant nominated George B. Williams,
OF Oregon, an ex-senator, and then At
tOrney General, to the vacancy. There
was instant and widespread objection
to the nomination. Mr.. Williams pro-
fessional ability was called in question
by his brethren in the law, and the
great Bar Association of New York
adopted formal resolutions in opposi-
tion to his confirmation. A large num-
Der OF the principal newspapers of both
political parties condemned the selec-
ton.
Unfortunately for Mr.. Williams, his
management of his Office had involved
MN IN scandal. For instance it was
charged thai he had bought for Mrs.
Williams q landaulet, and had paid rn.
it out of the contingent fund of the
Department of Justice. He had in con-
sequence been nicknamed in the public
press Landaulet" Williams.
Moreover, Mrs. Williams was not
popular with the other wives of Cabi-
net olicers, and a great many detri-
mental stories concerning her were
circulated. TO solne extent the fight
against Williams took on the form OF a
" ladies' quarrel" To illustrate family
this phase of the contest, the following
paragraph is quoted from the regular
correspondent of a New York paper at
that time:
Mrs. Williams carriage blocks the
way. Politically and socially that de-
partment landaulet has been in the
way OF everybody and of every salon,
and has used O week of the precious
time before Lent. The ladies OF the
cabinet had each agreed to give a
german to to Miss Nellie Grant after
her month of mourning for Grandpa
Dent. but hopes had been entertained
that Mrs. Williams would have been
out OF the set before the invitations
we're ent out"
AS early as December 8 reports be-
gan to be circulated that Grant would
Withdraw Williams name, but DAYS
grew into weeks without such action.
Finally the holiday adjournment was
had, with the nomination still pending.
On January 5, 1874, Congress- having
reassem bled, President Grant visited
the Capitol. He SEN for the Republi-
can members OF the Judiciary Commit
tee, Edmunds, Frelinghuysen, Conk-
ing, and Wright and Carpenter, all of
whom. except Conkling, were under
stood to be opposed to Williams. This
gave rise to rumons that Williams
name would be Withdrawn, and Caleb
Cushing's name be sent in.
On the morning OF January 7, Hamil-
ton Fish, Secretary of State, called on
Attorney General Williams at the lat
ter's ol1ice, and represented to him that
his continued candidacy was seriously
embarrassing President Grant, and
that he (Williams) ought to send to the
President a note asking him to with
draw his (Williams) name from the
Senate, adding that this was the only
way In which President Grant and his
administration could be relieved from
embarrassment in the matter. Will
Hams yielded to these representations. |
and that afternoon sent a note to the
President in accordance with the sup-
gestlon OF Mr.. Fish. The next day
Williams name was withdrawn.
On the following day, January 8,
1874, Caleb Cushing was nominated TO |
the vacancy, and the Same day the
was favorably reported
back from the Judiciary Committee,
despite the fact that Mr.. Cushing was
within q week of his 74th birthday. He
would have been confirmed that day
mad not Morton, OF Indiana, objected
20 an~executive SESSION. This enabled