The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-11
John sharp williams.

No man in public life not . citizen of Memphis Is better known to that com munity than John Sharp Williams of Mississippi, the new minority leader of the House of Representatives. He suc- ceds Tennesseean and is himself by birth . Tennessean. for he was born In Memphis forty-nine years ago. His father was Memphlan who gave hts life at the threshold of ats brilliant promise to the cause of the South. Leading the Nth Tennessee regiment of infantry with the grand and fesistiess assault of Albert Sydney Johnston's, army upon the star tied. but stubborn hosts of Grant at Shiloh he flung himself an all-too willing but glorious sacrifice into the very vortex | of the destruction which swept to death
 many another bright and dauntiess young soul which if spared would have iliumfned the later and nobler struggle; of the Southern people for the redemption cf l,their loved .commonweaifhs. This was |Christopher Harris Williams, one of the foremost young men of Memphis at the outbreak of the Civil War. .'.Kit wii- liams'' he was called. as had been his father before him. Christopher Harris Williams. the grandfather of John Sharp, was for i've terms distinguished repre- sentative in Congress Of the old Mem phis district from near the close of the war with Mexico until along in the ifties. The Williams home was in Memphis, and there he, was born July D. 1854, His career Is almost as familiar to Mem phians as to- the splendid constituency he admirably represents. The basis of his education-basls it was. for Mr. Williams is one of those, who believe A man never ceases to be educated while he iives--was deeply and broadly grounded. He went to private schools. in YaSoo County. Missis- sippi. whither his mother removed soon after the death of her husband and where in a few years she too parsed away. and in his boyhood, in the Delta he imbibed that love of truth, h0nor. civic virtue and frank. good-feliowship that. makes the Mississippi gentleman moro than the peer of any scion of titled saristccracy. His
 first experience away from home was as
 a cadet at the Kentucky Military Tnsti-
 trite. at. Frankfort; next, at the Uniyersi-
 ty of the South. at sewanee. which was of Virginia. and finally the pursuit of special studies in the University of Heideiberg. at Badan, German. He re- turned to the University of Virginia. studied law and wss, admitted to the bar in, Memphis in 1S77. sf A year later he moved pack to Yazoo and practiced his profession where he could conveniently
 manage the nearby large planting estate left by his father. He wac persuaded tp reiinauieh tis tdeai ilfs of the country gentleman about the time the wave of Popuiiam gsurged- along through the West and South and fiienaced the old Demo cratic faith nf Mississippi and other States, Giviua his time earnestly and ardently to his party. hArstrovs and spoke for the saue Siiaof&nnr8 Jsfkers0niaa pfsnelples which he ef6utienfiX 8fapliAs sined with renewed devotion on Saturday when he was nominated for minority lead CT of the House. ffissspeseh made an excellent impression ,wshbt 1t was de- iivered and the sure iprbdf df its exeep- tionai worth is the way it promises to wear. for, N has Besfs evsr tsince a theme of continual pralse afn0ng his tslicw- Defn0crats.. sss isss55 z, |. .g s ly-s !
 It is interestinx te note tilas the assdred eninence of John Sharp Wfilianss was not attained alone, the customary paths of political advancement in4the House. He has not served on any of the big, com mlttees which are rAiahily made up of the party captains. He has steadily. with out extraneous effortG won upon the con victions of members of both parties by his keen intellect. his readiress and yer satiiity on the floor on alT occasions which evoked efforts to solve current problems,
 that cnAHenReu OemocraAcs cnAHplousnip or that defed Democratic contravention.
 The party never lacked a fearless fighter when John Sharp Williams was on the floor of the House. His force was ap- parent and he was respected by his poll tical adversaries. They learned to know too that the sincerity of his loyalty never abated his courtesy nor ever did the pas sion of the hour leave him without man. hood ripe with magnanimity and brinl- ming wth Kindness. To happy natural endowments, he has added treasures Of wde and varied experience. discriminat- hating study and the salrtary apprehen- sion saving fairness Of common sense. Best of all about him. amid il-his blos- soning honors. nobody, friend or foe. Is more difhdent about his. deserts than he.
 But. for all that. the Democrats. of the House, who now come from Boston to San Francisco and from the great lakes to the Rio Grande are one and all well pleased with John Sharp Williams for their House leader. .e
 Tyner and His Record. Att
 The friends of General James V. Tyner, of Indiana. formerly Assistant Attorney General for the Post once Dc %artmeut. = g n