Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-02-01
TRIBUTE TO JUDGE PAINE.

During the proceedings in the Supreme
Court at Madison, on Wednesday last, com
memorative of the death of Judge Paine
Hon. Daniel Hail made the following re-
marks
Mdy II please your Honor Being the on
y member of the Jefferson county bar pres
ent, would add word upon tile affective
event wbi,h has befallen the people of our
State. see other members of the pIofes
sion here, who had much more personal ac-
quaintance with Judge Paine than had. |
knew him chiefly as Judge of this court.
But there was that IN his character which
had arrested the attention of every Thoughtful
man in the State.
That he was an able fearless and upright
Judge, and that he faithfully performed every
public and private duty, is the general ac-
cord OF all who knew him.
Ever since the earliest manhood he had
taken an active and conspicuous part in the
issues which involved the i rcest strifes OF
party, and the sharpest conflicts of inter
ests But such was the respect for his abil
Ity, his sincerity, and his earnest devotion
to what he believed to be right, that no one
could have fallen over whose place of rest
kinder or more respectful words will be
spoken.
While, in justice to the living and the
dead, it is no detraction from his great
merits to say there have been, and still are,
judges who have equaled his fame as a
jurist; yet in the work for which | think
Judge Paine would wish to be remembered
he stood unrivaled in our midst. He WAS
the peerless advocate of the belief that our
government was founded to protect all its
suhje, is by equal laws. He embraced this
opinion, regardless of the obloquy which it
encountered. Such were the high qualities
he brought to the discussion of the ques-
tons OF the day, that he ex:orted admiration
ON his abb est opponents When he had
closed his argument in the Clio yer rescue
case, his position as an able and fearless
champion of equal rights Was established,
and his place in the hearts of the people
won. Then followed official station until
he attained the highest judicial honors.
Judge Paine was noted for his good judg-
ment, and the practical manner in which he
advanced the cause to which he nd given
his heart When oppression made its ap-
peal from argument to force, he answered
that appeal Nth force. Descending fro his
high place of powers here, he was found as
ready to defend the right upon the tented
field, as he had been at the bar, or to vindi-
cate it from the bench
The cheering thought of the hour is, that
his life was success. No broken monu-
ment should stand above his grave. Living
amid the grandest events of our history, in
which he bore noble part, although from
his exalted station here he was smitten
down in the prime OF his strength and has
gone down to his grave not "ful of years,
yet his work was done-and nell done
Rare good fortune attended him to the last.
Not until the bloody strife had ended, and
the great heart wish of his life was accom-
plished-not until he had seen the broken
band of our Union fully re-united-the last
link of the severed chain restored-was the
fatal arrow sped, Providence, having no
other work of equal dignity for him to per-
form, has called him to his reward.