The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1914-06-19
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE
PROM JUDGE SAM c. WILLIAMS,
CANDIDATE FOR THE su-
PREME BENCH
Fer UBOxpIrsd Tepn Now FILLED by Him.
Election August sth.

Nashville. Tenn.-Judgs Sam c. WILL
tams, candidate for the Supreme Bench
at the election, August 9Th. on the free
and Independent platform, has issued tha
following address:
TO THE PEOPLE OF TENNESSEE:
1t is now apparent that the jackson
term of the Supreme Court, for the West
ern Division, will not be concluded until
late date in June; and that this TACT
viii make it impossible for me to canvass
the State and personally solicit support
In behalf of my candidacy to election TO
the place / now hold on the supreme
bench. About forty days only VIII re-
main before the date Of the election IN
August
This leaves me the alternative of ad-
dressing the people in this manner.
/ have declined to visit the counties Of
the State for that purpose during term
time, and the Court has been In almost
continuous session since Sept Sth last
felt that ltigants and lawyers had
right to expect that my time should be
devoted to the hearing, investigation and
decision of their cases. The result IS
that l have been able to visit only six
of the towns of the State, those visited
being in Middle Tennessee during the one
week of vacation that intervened between
the Nashville term and the Jackson term.
In January last / issued an announce
ment of my purpose to ask for an indorse-
ment of my record at the August elee-
IlODJ 1914, anu IN IQdL announcement 4
appealed to men of all parties ahd fac
tions. My hope was that by faithful and
unremitting effort there might be made
a record that would deserve and receive
Endorsement; a record sufficiently accept
able to the people of the State to justify
all parties and factions in according me
the remnant four years. left of the un-
expired term Of Judge John K. Shields, my
predecessor.
The record of service rendered during
the year and a half OF my incumbency is
before the bar and the citizenship in the
published law reports, official and unof-
ficial, and by that l am willing to he
tried Whatever lack there may be does
not come from want of sincere desire
and purpose to give to the office the best
of my capacity.
Before going on the bench had never,
been in public life; had never sought or
held office. My appointment to the bench
was due, as | conceive to the fact tho
l was not a politician: because OF thls
the recommendation for appointment was
well-nigh unanimous from the bar of the
First Congressional District, in which l
have resided for the last Twenty-Five
years. All elements of all political parties
and factions in that faction-torn district
combined in that Endorsement
1t is submitted that in fairness it can
not be charged that since my appointment
/ have mixed in political affairs even by
attendance at any one Of those meetings
~ State Executive Committees or at any
one of the three State Conventions that
nave l3u TO zeal WIN lue abCCG'S5ioll ~
the seat l now occupy
Two State Conventions have given my
record and candidacy their Endorsement;
but my appeal is yet to the people at
large, who it is believed, have a desire
to save their highest judicial office from
a political and, most of all, a facuonal
scramble, and who are unwilling to pro-
scribe a judge because his political views
do. not exactly square with their own
In 1912 my associate in service, Judge
Arthur S. Buchanan, who had been ele-
waited to the bench by Governor Patterson
as regular democrat, stood for indorse-
ment by election. The republicans and
independent democrats alike accorded hir-
the race without opposition. | gladly sup
ported him on his record. Now, after the
lapse of but two years. If the situation
be fairly the same as to service rendered,
can but think that there are thousands
of regular democrats so fair minded az
not to withhold reciprocal treatment.
Is it argued that | have not the nomi-
nation of a democratic convention? NY
predecessor. Judge Shields, was elected
without such a nomination. Despite ad-
verse nominations by that party. he and
his four associates were elected. The
seat / hold was, as I conceive thus dedi-
Gated by the people to independence and
freedom from partisan test for eight years,
not four At whose instance and for
what reason, is the position to be forced
back into politics in midterm? l ask
for the fragment Of that term as a nom
partisan candidate. VIII it not be time
enough to apply a partisan test after the
period of dedication is passed?
The democrats of Tennessee approved
and applaudcd the acts of republican
presidents when Harrison appointed How
ell e. Jackson, OF this state TO the bench
of the Supreme Court Ct the United
States, and when Taft raised Judge Lur-
ton, Tennessee democrat, TO the same
bench Tennessee democrats least of ALL
have reason to decry non-partisan
standard for the Judiciary VIII they ap-
ply stricter, a purely faCtional test, and
disrobe a State Judge who has been
a lifelong democrat on the ground that
he is not their particular sort Of a demo-
crat on certain issues? For my part, ]
believe that a vast number of them will
decline to depart from the Buchanan
precedent; that they have no desire to
take and not give, to ask and not yield
in return To them I appeal
To those who have been in the ranks
of the independent democrats, whether
they be at this time thermometers or not,
/ call attention to the fact that the inde-
pendent democratic movement originated
in the campaign Of 1910. the fundamental
principal of which was that Judges of the
Higher Courts should not be made or I'M
made at the dictatiOu or behest of the
politician; and that the Supreme Bench
above all should be freed from the de-
moralizing influence of the domination
of any faction or boss
Upon republicans my chief claim for
support lies, l repeat, In the pledge, duly
to be Kept, that if I am honored by the
people in an Endorsement of my record
shall devote my best energies to the office
as a servant of no party. but of the whole
people, intent only on its duties and on
seeing that as little as possible of the
politician shall appear in the Judge.
Eighteen months absence from home in
the service of the State serves to dissi
pate ones professional practice and to
give a wrench to ones private affairs as
my brethren of the bar readily under
stand.
Any injustice that might be done to the
individual by refusal to so indorse would
be insignificant, however. as compared
with the harm that would be inflicted on
the judiciary if the Buchanan precedent
should now be reversed, and another es-
tablished that puts on apopintees to the
Appellate benches the expenses and strain
Of campaign during and following a
year of grinding court service. Many
lawyers would hesitate to accept an ap-
pointment under such conditions. In all
fairness should any Judge, If he has done
his d y be thus subjected?
It is for the bar and the people to
decide 1t is submitted to their arbitrs-
ment.
Truly,