The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-02-04
LAURENs. $. c.. Feb. 4, 1908.
AS SEEN IN COLUMBIA.

COLUMBIA, Jan. 31-The general as.
sembly has elected Charles A. Woods
of Marion Associate Justice OF the Su-
preme Court. He will I'LL the unex-
pired term of Judge Pope, who was
elected to fill the unexpired term OF the
late Judge McIver. Thus he practically
takes Judge McIver's place on the
praise than to say that / believe no
South Carolina lawyer is better fitted
to take the place Of Judge MoIver. The
late Col. b. w. Ball was associated with
MIR. Woods in o case some years ago be-
fore the United States Court of APP
peals in Richmond. Mr.. Woods was
then, comparatively, q young lawyer.
l remember the deep impression that
Mr.. Woods made upon his older asso-
ciate. Col. Ball spoke of his mastery
of legal principles, of his care and in
dustry and strong grasp Of the ques-
IONS involved, as we'll as OF his fine
personality, in glowing terms, and 1
think that this estimate Is held, by all
lawy ers who know Mr.. Woods, through
out South Carolina.
Our delegation, the majority II not
all the members, supported Major
Caldwell of Greenwood as long as he
was in the race. They were perfectly
SAT. in supporting Major Caldwell. All
OF us know him to be a man of pro-
found learning and the highest char
acter and he is q close neighbor. Mr..
Sd. simpson Of Spartanburg and Mr..
Mccullough Of Greenville were not
candidates. Had Mr.. Simpson run, no
would of course, have received support
from Laurens. 1t is rather remarka.
BILE that 80 many good lawyers were
candidates for this judgeship. Ex-
Judge Izlar of Orangeburg, one of the
very noblest and truest men and citi-
zens of South Carolina, was a candi-
date. He received scanty support. The
argument was "that he was too old"
l think such an argument is a cruel
shame. Many q lawyer of seventy is in
his prime. 1t takes years and years of
arduous work to fit a man for a Judge.
ship. Judge Izlar is in vigorous
health. No man can predict that he
will not retain his health for many
years. There are many younger law
yers in this state whose promise for flu
ture usefulness is incomparably less
than James +. Izlar's. There are not
too many who can hold their own with
him in q rough and tumble legal bat
tie before a court and jury. While 1 do
net oomppissiin' that legislators preferred
to vote for others, 1 do think that the
argument Of age brought against q
virile, active, stirring man like Judge
Izlar was either meanly selfish or dis.
gracefully shallow.
Three or four or five men were ready
to accept this judgeship whose prac.
tices are worth far more than $4,000 q
year, the salary that 1t pays. Mr.
Woods, 1t Is said, has a practice worth
at least twice that sum-. 1t is a pity
that we Carolinians are willing to "put
up" with cheap men in great positions
BY sheer good luck, we obtain the ser.
vices of Mr.. Woods at about half OF
one third of what they are worth. We
murmur when a great lawyer works
for railroads and corporations and yet
the state, that Is all the people, who
create the corporations, grudges our
strong men the salaries which they
command from the corp orations. Unless
the state pays Its supreme court jus
tices better salaries, sooner or later the
state will have a supreme bench with
one or two or three "shyster'' lawyers
upon it. 1t ia good luck aud only good
luck that this condition has MOI already
come about. Twenty-eight hundred
dollars sounds big to a man who make.
little money, pays no house rent ano
Hives on his garden truck but the ex.
penses of q Judge in Columbia will ea'
INTO 1t at a startling rate.
There Is an abuse that 1 wish IL
point out and condemn. Several candi
ates for state offices failed of election
b the first primary last year. After
ne second primary it was announced
fhat the candidate, or one of them
no had been dropped after the first
Gould be appointed to a clerkship OF
her place in the Office of the victor
eanwhile newspapers commented or
Q generosity" and "gracefulness'
the victor In recognizing the meri
his defeated opponent. Here is how
y scheme appears to me. Suppose
nth, Brown and Jones run for dog
her. Jones is dropped after the
Slshow down and Smith leads. Smith
Rntses Jones, who has received almost
meny votes as Brown, that he will
point him first assistant ~dog-catchel
be- will prevail upon his friends IL
for Smith against Brown. Their
wn in the second primary is really
alng against both Smith and Jones
2n'$ care to point put where thit
sne was worked last year because
% prove beyond contradiction tina,
1eals were made but I do maintain
when 6 man Is fairly beaten In the
primary he should for the sake o.
sances at least not make his bread
the Office OF the man who won In
nala