Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-06-03


thing like 500, ard a testimonial con-
tanning a picture of Ellis island and
200 autographs.
When asked the reason for such a
demonstration in honor of a man who
had caused the upheaval and disturb
ance of time honored customs, one Of
the men said.
Every employee on the island knew
he could get a square deal from the
commissioner"
Williams zeal in going to the bot
tom of things in the immigration bu-
reau had uncovered much graft and
corruption. Then, suddenly, he stepped
down and out.
Evidently President Taft thinks that
this man and his ideas on reform are
not so visionary as the advisers of
President Roosevelt would have had
him believe Williams was prevailed
upon to take up his work again solely
upon the grounds that it was public
duty which he could not decline He
did decline at first but the argument
Of the president finally prevailed. and
the quiet man of Ellis island goes back
to that important station satisfied that
this time he will have free hand in
the task before him.
A man with independent means and
comfortable law practice. Williams
is under obligation to no one and
every success he has attained since
leaving New London, Conn. the place
of his birth, has been won by sheer
force of energy and ability.
His family put him through the pub
lie schools and then sent him to Ger
student at the German gymnasium in
Wiesbaden, and he entered Yale with
the class of 81. being graduated and
taking a course in law at Harvard.
He began practice in New York in the
fall of 1883 and has been q resident of
that city ever since.
In 1928 Williams acted as Junior
counsel for the United States in the
Bering sea arbitration in Paris. Five
years later. when war with Spain was
declared, he left his law practice and
went out as Il private with the war
troop of Squadron y. His energy and
ability were soon rewarded by promo
ton. and he went into the quarter
masters department with the rank OF
major, taking troOpship to Porto
Rico. This was the end of his mill
tary service, typhoid bringing him
down ana making him an invalid I'M
til the following year, when he went
back TO the practice of law.
President Roosevelt in 1902 asked
him to go to Ellis island, and he ac-
cepted In 1903 he resigned
The president publicly commended
him for his administration, Yale uni
versity conferred the honorary degree
of master of arts upon him, and he re-
tired to private life. Since then he
has practiced law and climbed noun
tains. with considerable distinction in
both. although the public knows little
about either.
AS mountain climber he has scaled
the highest peaks in Switzerland. has
| qualified for and been elected to the
English Alpine club and was comp!et-
ing plans to tackle some of the highest
| peaks in eastern Europe when the
present situation confronted him.
Such, in brief. is the career of Il man
upon whom considerable public attcn-
| ton will be focused in the next four
years. No port of entry into the Unit
| ed States bears more closely upon the
| many grave problems arising from the
tide of alien races daily breaking
against the country's gates.
With Williams when he retired from
| office went many who had helped him
| in sweeping the island clean, who had
| started the work of building Il larger
| and mere sanitary immigration sta.
ton, who had helped in the reorgan-
ization of the system of handling ig-
norant aliens. who had substituted
humane and honest dealings in place
Of brutal and mercenary transactions
that once existed and who had sue
ceeded I'm driving grafters from the
| service.
Williams is not plodder He acts,
and he keeps in action, accepting full
and complete responsibility for every
thing he does and demanding obedi.
ence. loyalty and maximum work
ing time from every subordinate.-Nev
Yore Post.