The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1914-07-10
GREAT issue or 1910 10 AGAIN
RAISED IN wlLLiAMs.BuRRoW
RACE FOR supREMg COURT.
NOT PARTISAN CANDIDATE
Independent Democrats and RepublL
cans Have Endorsed Williams. and
Many Regulars support Him
Mast Come Out and Vets.
Fine Record on Bench.


race in Tennessee has ever attracted the
attention OF the people Of the state to the
extent that the present contest between
Judge Sam c. Williams and Judge Robert
Burrow IL doing.
Should the people OF the state show
their real interest Ia the preservation Of
the freedom Of their judiciary by coming
to the polls and voting on August 8, there
II no doubt Of Judge Williams election
There Is but ose danger to his candi-
dacy. and that is the tendency OF those
who have no local candidates In the field
to rail to come to the polls A large and
strong element Of Regular Democrats has
come to the support Of Judge Williams
and II the usual Independent Democrat
and Republican vote Ia cast. there 10 NO
doubt OF his election.
The 1910 fight attracted more attention.
perhaps. than the present contest. for the
sole reason that there were ten judges to
be elected then, and only one now. Other
wise. the issues are almost precisely the
same.
In 1910 three members Of the Supreme
Court, with two other attorneys and five
candidates for the Court OF Civil Appeals.
declined to submit their candidacy to .
political primary and went directly to the
people on the ground that the judiciary
of the state should be free from and
above political considerations. either In
Its decisions or In the selection Of Its
members The people Of the state en-
dorsed this position by the greatest ma
tority ever given any ticket In Tennessee.
Four years later the situation repeats
itself. A vacancy on the Supreme Court.
arising from the resignation Of Judge
John X. Shields, was filled By the ap.
pointment BY Governor Hooper Of Sam c.
Williams, q native OF West Tennessee,
but for twenty years q resident OF John
son City and one Of the ablest and most
honorable lawyers Of East Tennessee. to
the bench. Judge Williams was law
yer and . business man. and was not
never had been, and u not yet . poll
tician.
Even before the vacancy arose, how
ever. and while Judge Shields was can
tidate for the Senate. Judge Robert Bur-
row. q fellow- townsman and close friend
Of John l. Cox, whose efforts had been
put forth In 1912 to keep down opposition
u LllIu III las leklsAhhNS AhSSs wan -
Nashville working for Shields election.
It was then currently reported that
Judge Burrow was to be Shields success
sor. II the Chief Justice became Senator.
That this report was true later events
have proven.
Judge williams served q year and
half on the bench. to the eminent salts
faction Of bar and public. but when the
time came for him to offer for reelection
It was also time for the redemption Of
Senator Shields political obligation to
Judge Burrow.
Why They Oppose Him.
That fact 10 the reason portion Of
the Regulars Of the state oppose Judge
Williams.
A further reason for opposition OF an
other portion IL that Judge Williams did
not submit his claims for election to the
held In Nashville In May. His claim
was not upon the Regular organization
for political service rendered. 1t was
upon the people OF the state. for faithful
and efficient judicial service. He sub
mitted It, therefore. direct to them, and
In 30 doing gave mortal offense to that
portion Of the Regulars who still regard
political lines as OF controlling Importance
In electing judges.
He might. even at the last. have pla-
Gated these and secured Regular nom
nation II he had been willing to 20 into
a fractional scramble for judicial honor.
He was not, however, In spite OF the fact
that In Regular county conventions he
had received a considerable number Of In
, structsd votes without asking for them.
and that Judge Burrow had failed to ss-
cure endorsement In probably major.
ity Of the counties Of the state
The Independent Principle.
The time has come In Tennessee.
though. when . large majority Of the
voters, whether Regulars, Independents,
or Republicans. do not apply political
tests In judicial races, To these people
Judge Williams, who stands for the prin-
Judiciary. makes q strong appeal.
He put his case directly to the people
in August. He received the endorsement
,of the Independent Democratic and Re-
publican conventions, unanimously, not
because he went before those conventions
and asked for it--for he stayed In Jack
mon and held court steadily during the
Sonvention tims--but because they Ia
vored his idea Of the non-partisan Judi.
sciary.
the Regular convention, because. largely,
IL the fact that In that heated political
contest the various candidates for Gov
ernor were afraid to offend the Burrow
supporters and allowed him to be nomi-
mated, though they knew that It., weak
ansd the chances Of election Of the gubsr.
material nominee.
rae Is. however. the choice OF q large
and growing number Of Regular Demo-
Gratis. His campaign committee consists
of one Regular, ono Independent and one
Republican fTS% Tn each grand div " 81 o.
willie. a prominent Regular. az chairman.
The broad apd non partisan spirit Of
the supporters Of Judge Williams was
strikingly illustrated In the formation OF
the Williams Club at Nashville This club,
organized on the call Of fifteen hundred
voters, Is composed Of men Of all shades
OF political opifst0n One OF the speakers
at the first meeting said: I'VE may dir
fer In politics. but We choose our Judges
as We 90 our doctors. BY their aualifi-
since the defeat Of the attempt to ap-
ply political tests for judges inf13l0 there
have been two races for the Supreme
Court. In 1912 Judge Buchanan. appoints
g BY *. r.vD S !, RT
well done and was accorded an unop.
posed race for election By Independent
Democrats and Republican, A large part
OF the Regulars. In 1914. are according the
70 .e,. e JUDE g W SSSfs wsn:
popular strength With ali classes how.
AVER. there Is one danger TO his election.
He has not the support Of strong. COM
pact political organizations, which ate able
politicians candidate. and II u all the
more necessary. therefore, for the people
who stand for the principe OF 9 free and
untrammeied judiciary to register theis
viii ~ tho polls On August I.
ssts