The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-12
MAYOROF PORTLAND
A GRAND OLD MAN
Interesting History of Judge
George H. Williams Z
WAS FRIEND OF LINCOLN
At the Age of 50 Years Judge VIII
isms Can Look Back on Some
Stirring Events in His
country's History.
BY BLAINE PHILLIPS.

Thousands of miles from the seat of
government with which, at one time, he
was SO prominently connected, in his
modest office at Portland, Ore, may be
found Hon. George H williams, mayor
of the city in which the Lewis and
Clark Centennial Exposition will open
June l. Possessing a personality that has
endeared him to the people of his adopt
ed state and to those who have known
him throughout the country, George II.
williams may appropriately be called
'Portland's Grand Old Man" Seeing
this plain-featured old man before his
desk, the snow of over four score Of
years upon his bowed head, his feet
| thrown upon a chair while he indolently
| pulls at a favorite cigar, it is difficult
momentarily, to believe that, he was
close friend of our martyred Lincoln, at
torney-general of the United States in
| President Grants cabinet, United States
senator and a man upon whom, in his
| eighty-second year, have been heaped
| some of the highest honors his country
| could bestow.
Stopped physically, mentally George H.
/ Williams is the superior of thousands of
men forty years his junior. He was
never a handsome man, and does not
possess the dignity or aristocratic bearing
which was so noticeable in the late
President Mckinley. Notwithstanding,
| the integrity and firmness of will which
characterized his early public life are
evident today, and his congeniality is such
as to Immediately make the utter
| stranger his admlrer.
| In some instances he has been harshly
| criticised for his urbanity and unobstru-
| siveness in dealing with persons of an
entirely different sphere Of existence
| Glass distinction is something to which
| George II. Williams is bitterly opposed
The mere fact that he possesses an en-
viable record or is mayor of Portland,
is not, in his mind sufficient inducement
for him to ignore those who may be
| termed his social interiors Being scru-
pulously honest, he is inclined to give
| the "beneft of the doubt" to all corners,
and often are his condolences most wan
tonly abused.
Has Idiosyncracies.
Like most men of his years, George H.
] Williams possesses numerous little lido
| syncraces which are noticeable only to
| those who are In close touch with him.
| In Portland, an ordinance exists which
| is supposed to regulate Migrants and
street nuisances The police and city
officials of late have devoted unusual eff
fort to having MANNED beggars removed,
so as to have these nuisances eliminated
before the Lewis and Clark exposition
opens. A permit from the mayor to grind.
| one of those dolorously-toned hand or
| gans easily overrules the dictation of the
ordinance. Mayor Williams has issued a
| number of these, to the discomforture OF
the city government, and when criticism
| Is offered, he replies simply: These poor
people have to live" And who will say
that he is not right in permitting such
destitutes to exist on an occasional be-
grudged five-cent piece from a hurrying
pedestrian?
Few careers have been so eminently IL
lustrous as his. We have all read glow
ing eulogies of Washington, Lincoln, Nc
Kinley, Gladstone and Bismarck, and
have wondered that such marvellous men
were human. And yet the greatest Of
all eulogies may be written of George H.
Williams. 'He Is self-made man."
From the son OF a poor shoemaker, he
has risen to some of tne highest offices
In the country. Mayor Williams, or
Judge" as he prefers to be addressed,
was born in New Lebanon, N Y, a
quaint old Shaker town March &c, 1923.
| When he was about IA years OF age
he entered Pompey, N. Y, academy.
where he received his first education.
Following his graduation, Judge Will
liams studied law and in his twenty-hrst
| year was admitted to the bar of New
York He then migrated to Iowa, going
first to Cincinnati, and from there by
boat to St Louis, Mo-, and Fort Madl-
son, Ia, suffering many viclssitudes err
route.
Was Elected Judge.
Judge Williams was elected judge OF
the first judicial district of Iowa in the
election following the organization of the
state government. In 1853 he was APP
pointed chief Justice of Oregon territory.
and reappointed by President Buchanan
| In 1857. In this Is found the immediate
cause of his Identification with this state
Since that time the principal part of his
life has been devoted to Oregon As a
member of the constitutional committee
before the instrument was presented to
the voters, Judge Williams made an act
I've canvass in behalf of an anti-slavery
clause which he desired to have included
In the state constitution, inasmuch as he
was vigorously opposed to the introduce
ton of slavery into Oregon. He was one
of the founders OF the union party, or
ganized In 1860. and subsequently cam
| vassed the country for Lincoln. and aided
in awakening all the sympathy for the
union cause his strength would permit.
Elected to the United States Senate
from Oregon in 1864 he arrived in Wash
| ington at the most critical period In the
country's history. His services to the
government during that period we're of
very material worth and productive of
excellent results.
| He was a close associate of Abraham
| Lincoln and was frequently consulted on
| questions of great Importance to the coun-
| try's history. Following Lincoln's assas-
sination. he was elected to be one of the
| chosen few who accompanied the funeral
cortege on its long Journey from WASH
ington. ID. c., to Springfield, ILL.,, where
the remains were Inferred
| Upon the close of the war Judge VIII
liams introduced the military reconstruc-
| ton act under which the Confederate
| States of America were reorganized and
| their representation admitted to Congress
| Among many OF his important acts in
! troduced in the Senate was the "tenure
| OF office act" vetoed by President John
| son. but passed over his veto.
Appointed Commissioner.
| In 1871 Judge Williams was appointed
one of the Joint high commissioners to
| frame treaty for the settlement Of the
Alabama claims, the northwestern boun-
dairy and other questions In dispute be-
| tween the United States and Great Brit
ain. His ability, wisdom and tact Sc
cured a settlement OF the boundary ques-
| ton favorable to his countrys contention.
| II had been claimed that the only so.