Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-07-09

DELICATE
Questions to Be
Settled
Relative to Filling Judge
Williams Place.
Matter of Salary Also included
In Quandary.

Columbus, o., July 0-The death Of
Judge Marshal J. Villains. Judge Of
the Ohio Supreme court has given rise
to questions of law and constitution
which the state has not experienced
In some time. The questions are Of
nature rather delicate for the consider
alton OF the court and for that reason
1t has been hoped that they will all be
settled by the Secretary of State or
the Auditor
The first question which has been dis
cussed in state circles Is What will
be the salary of Judge Williams sue
cessor!" The deceased junlst was
elected to the Supreme Court bench at
salary of $4,000 per year. Judge
Snauck is the only member of the
court who receives $1,000 per year
Judge Price receives $4,000 per year.
This is explained by the fact that the
Seventy-fourtb General Assembly
raised the salaries of the judges of the
Supreme Court from $4,000 to $1,000
per year and the last session made it
S6,0OOJudge Williams successor will
be appointed by the Governor under
the constitution, until a successor has
been duly elected and qualified.
The question is whether the
new judge will be regarded as a
ffiffiftinew member of the court or as
taking the place of Judge Williams.
Upon this decision will rest the matter
of salary.
Another important question to be de-
cided is whether or not the Republi-
cans in Ohio will have to nominate
another candidate for Judge of the
Supreme Court. The law says that
state political convention may author
ize committee to fill vacancies on
the ticket but in this case there is no
vacancy. There will be two Judges to
elect one to fill the unexpired term Of
Judge Williams, the other to succeed
him. The Democrats not having held
their state convention may nominate
two candidates one for long and the
other for a short term. How the Re-
publicans will get candidate on their
state ticket seems to be up to the Sec
retary of State who is looking up the
law on the matter now.
Another result of the death is that
Judge Burkett will be the -enior men,
Der of the court for two years and as a
consequence will have two years
term as Chief Justice.
There are many reasons to believe
that Governor Nash will appoint Judge
W. B. Grew. of McConnellsville to take
the place Of Judge Williams until
successor can be regularly elected ac>
cording to the provisions of the law. In
this case it is more than likely that
the judge will also be the nominee of
the Republicans for the full unexpired
term. 1t will be remembered that
Judge Crew was an unsuccessful can,
didate for this honor at the last State
Republican convention.
If Governor Nash does appoint Judge
Crew, he will be making double
play for there will in turn be an ap,
pointment to make to succeed Judge
Crew. Candidates have already come
forward and one of the first of these is
Judge McGinnis, of Caldwell, 1t had
been arranged that If Judge Grew We're
nominated for the Supreme Court, he
was to have been succeeded by Judge
McGinnis. Judge Chambers announced
that he would not be a candidate for
reelection, but when the smoke of the
Republican battle at Cleveland died
away, Judge Grew refused to relin-
quish the judicial position he already
held and Judge McGinnis was shut out.
What bearing this incident will have
upon the present situation remains to
be seen.