Year: 1879

JUDGE WILLIAMS AND THE TINES"


We presume the Chicago Times will i'm
prove this last day of grace in the Judiciary
campaign to continue its venomous attacks
upon Judge WILLIAMS. The mdignity Of
the editor of that journal is past all re-
MORSE There are two special objects Of his
hatred in this city. One is Judge WILLIAMS.
who sent him to jail the other is Judge
BOOTH, who refused him new trial, in
case where a verdict Of libel had been found
against him. Just now the >candidature Of
Judge WILLIAMS for reelection furnishes an
opportunity for working out the grudge
against that able and unimpeachable jurist.
Tho Times made q desperate effort. in the
first place, to defeat the nomination OF Judge
WILLIAMS. Failing in this, its spite was only
intensified by its chagrin, and it has lied
about him every day since his nomination.
The special purpose Of these mean and
malicious attacks upon Judge WILLIAMS
is to deprive him of Republican votes. The
Times, under the false and shallow pretense
Of being independent in politics. position
taken by its proprietor after his discovery
that the Democratic party will not support q
Democratic newspaper,-has for years ca
tcred for clientele Of Republican readers,
and thus hopes to stab Judge WILLIAMS in
his own home. Every Republican voter who
becomes the dupe Of this duphcisy on the
part of the Tanes-using false pretense OF
independence to crafty the personal malice
Of its proprietor be guilty Of treachery
to his own party, personal injustice to Judge
WILLIAMS, and seH-stultihcation-


We have already explained the charges
which the Times brings against judge Will
1Aas, as we'll as the motive which has
prompted those charges; but the facts may
be briefly repeated for the benefit of those
who are still ignorant of the real conditions.
Judge WILLIAMS, like hundreds and thou
sands of others, has been victim Of the
hard times. If that is a crime, Or even
fault, then society harbors more miscreants
and condones mora misdeeds than has
usually been supposed Judge WILLIAMS,
IN old citizen of Chicago, had the loyal
confidence in the future of the city which is
characteristic Of our best people, It was his
misfortune to buy real estate and undertake
its improvement at time when property,
building materials, labor, ETC., were at the
highest He borrowed money to do all this,
and procured $4,000 from the Fidelity
Bunk. He gave as security for this money
mortgage on property that was considered
worth nearly four times as much as the
amount be borrowed, and nearly double as
much as the entire incumhrance upon it,
The panic came, followed by the shrinkage
in values, and Judge WILLIAMS, like SO many
others, found it impossible either to sell
his property or pag the mortgages. This
plain and truthful statement Of the case is
calculated to gain him sympathy at the
hands Of those who have either suffered
themselves or watched the suffering Of 9TH
ers from the same cause. Judge WILLIAMS
has been struggling during the long period
of depression to save his property, with the
1ope and purpose Of ultimately paying of
oil his indebtedness. It was this honest am
bition which deferred him from taking ad-
vantage of the Bankrupt law, and induced
him to give up his handsome house and take
his family to modest tenement, where he is
saving what he can out Of his salary for the
benefit OF his creditors. Is there anything
in all this deserving Of condemnation, much
less abuse and vilifcation !?


Judge WILLIAMS is not the only man, not
even the only Judge, who is financially en-
barrassed. But this fact, especially when
taken in connection with his long and faith
full service on the Bench, is certainly not
good reason for dropping him and de-
priying him of his salary at time
when he most needs it. We are
much mistaken in tha temper and character
of Republican voters Of this county If they
shall consent to slaughter Judge WILLIAMS,
either because he is poor, o: in order to
crafty the malice and spleen Of the man
who runs the Chicago Times His record 'as
a Judge is the one thing that should de-
termine his reelection OF his rejection, and
if the people of Cook County be governed
by this he will be reelected by an enormous
majority, made up of both Republicans and
Democrats. Judge WILLIAMS record is one
Of the best in the country. It is sufficient to
repeat that, out Of about 5000 cases which
he has tried, his decisions have been reversed
in only about $50 cases, toprov6hisabi1ity and
judicial fairness He has always been an
honest and upright Judge. The great ma
jority Of the lawyers, whatever their politics,