Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-07-25
JUDGE WEBB DID NOT
ACCEPT.
His Friends at Home Glad of it.

Judge OhaS. M. WeDD mas deClQed
to stay in Grand Rapids among
his old time friends. While the
great honor of being an associate
Justice of the Supreme Court of
this state was tempting in the
extreme-he was able to overcome
the temptation and refuse it. In
refusing it he wrote the Governor
the following letter:
GRAND RAPIDS, Wis, July p, '05.
Gov. w. H. UPHAM,
Executive Office, Madison Wis.
DEAR SIR.--On the 18th instant
| addressed to your Excellency a
letter acknowledging the receipt
of your commission, bearing date
the 18th instant, appointing me a
Justice Of the Supreme Court to
fill the vacancy resulting from the
death Of the late Chief Justice
Orion, and asking, for reasons
therein stated, few days time in
which to consider and determine
the question of its acceptance.
Having meanwhile given the
subject most thorough and
impartial consideration, | am COM
PEELED to decline the great honor
SO generously rendered me. In
reaching this conclusion, I have
neither forgotten nor disregarded
my duty to the people of the State,
nor my great and lasting obliga-
tons to the people of the north, in
particular, and to many friends
elsewhere, in the State, for their
unwavering confidence and support
! at all times freely given; nor yet
my sense of profound gratitude to
your Excellency personally, for
the unsolicited and unexpected
honor which your action has done
me. | have remembered all these,
and considered them fully, but
find them overborne by consider
atoms of personal and private
character, important only to
myself and those who hold my
first and greatest obligations but
which are paramount with me,
and command me to decline the
proffered advancement. | feel
sure that the many friends in the
State who have urged me to accept
the appointment will agree that |
am the best Judge of what is my
duty under the circumstances and
will concur in the conclusion
reached.
Firmly believing that the action
; here resolved upon will prove to
be Wisest, and best for all interests
involved, and again thanking your
, EXcellency for the confidence
which your official action in the
: matter under consideration implies,
| have the honor to remain.
very Respectfully, ETC.,
CHAS. M. WEBB.
While every one here at home,
and about the state felt sure Judge
Webb would accept, the writer felt
satisfied he would not if he con-
sidered his personal interests Of
greater importance than those of
his friends and the state. Yet,
those who know him intimately,
realized that he would sacrifice
almost everything for his best
friends. At his age in life he felt
that in accepting that position he
would be assuming greater labor
than what his physical condition
would stand. He also realized
that there would be an entire
change in his life and surroundings
which he did not care to assume
while his present relations here
at home, where he has lived for
the past forty years, were the most
agreeable and comforting to him
in his time of life. He has un
numbered friends here who made
him feel their friendship and
interest in him when it came to
that point where there was some
danger of losing him. His init
mate friends rejoice in the fact
that this decision settles forever
/ the fact of his leaving Grand
Rapids.
He has a beautiful home and
grounds in this city where he has
all the comforts this life affords.
His family of wife and three
] daughters all reside here. Two
are married and Miss Clara the
youngest is at home with her
: parents. These home ties would
be broken if he had gone to