Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-12-19
JUDGE DEMON RErIRss.
Handsome Present = The Presentation
Speech and the Recipients Reply.

festsrday afternoon at l:3U O'CLOCK tns
Superior Court Of Sacramento county va
called to order. 1t was generally known tha
Hon. T. B Mcfarland had received the ap
pointment as Superior Judge, to succeed Hon
S. G. benson, and nearly all the attorney
! who practice in the Court were present, be
sides number OF spectators. Judge DeDsoI
introduced Mr.. Mcfarland to the members o.
the Bas. and bespoke for his successor tbs
came kindness and courtesy which had always
been shown to him. Judge McFsrland ther
| officially announced that Hon. S. G. DensoI
had resigned his Office as Judge Of that Court
and that ne had been appointed and commits
stoned by the Governor of the State to fill
the vacancy occasioned by the resignation
and stated that he would now assume the du
ties of the Office. At this point Hon. Grove
l.. johnson arose, and on behalf of the mem,
bers of the Bar of Sacramento county pre-
sented the retiring Judge with very hand
some table set of solid silver. 1t consisted o!
dozen each of knives, forks, tablespoons
and teaspoons with elegantly carved handle:
and soup lsdle lined with gold the whole
encssed by beautiful satin-lined plush case
Oa making the presentation, Mr.. johnson
spike as follows:
May it please the Court To speak well Of per
son is pleasant alike to the utterer and hearer OF
the words To speak well of an officer is pleasant
to those who have been under his control and CON
solng to him tired from faithful labor To be able
TO speak we'll OF private servant graf es employer
and employe both. To be able truthfuliy to speak
well Of and to public servant is exceedingly pleas
ant to the people, cheering TO the recipient OF the
language and inspiring to other officers of tbs gov
ern nent When to deserved words Of conmendati Il
for personal service be added those OF lnested
praise for official conduct, the pleasure becomes a
Joy seldom equaled. And when to these ingredi.
ents can be added the warmth OF friendship for the
man and genuine admiration for his qualities Of
head and heart, the occasion becomes a red letter
day indeed in the history vi our lives. Such time
is this
Judge benson, my brethren of the Bar have
given the proud and pleasant though difficult
privilege OF yoicing their feelings towards you sir
at this hour of your voluntary retirement from the
Bench, and have Commissioned me to present to YOU
in their name a token of their regard.
ltis now years since the voters OF the Sixth
Judicial District OF the State Of California COM
prising the counties of Yolo and Sacramento called
you, Samuel G. benson, to act the District Judge
Of that Judicial District. 1t is now three years
since, under the provisions OF our Constitution
the voters Of Sacramento county repeated their cali
and made you of the Superior Judges of this
county For seven years the properties the persons
and the lives OF our peope have been daily brought
before your Court for adjudication by you upon
their diverse and conflicting interests For that
period cf time our profession of the law the most
eXacting and critical OF all known to man. has
watched your course and reviewed your decisions
For that period the whole people OF Sacrament /,
city and county kave known you almost intimately
because the prominence Of your station has served
TO direct the eyes of all upon you and your actions
and speech For these long years we lawyers have
met you IN frequent converse in day trials OF trivial
and important cases. In talk and action as a man,
as lawyer and as a Judge have we known and
viewed you, and our unanimous verdict OF seven
years acquaintance now express in saving that we
~ Won in anb and all 8
these relations OF life
The exalted position of Judge inevitably brirps
into prominence all the qualities of man-t5ose Of
evil, il he has them as well as those Of pood-and
proves a crucial test of the inner 6ers of hiJ men
tai and moral nature. The practically unrestrained
power invested in Judge, his full control of mat
tiers submitted to him and Of persons appearing and
attorneys practicing in his Court all tend to foster
In a weak man exaggerated and disagreezble ideas
OF his own Importance, and in an unprincpled man
corrupt notions OF self aggrandizs sment He who
can serve In high judicial position without feeling
the strrngs OF passion and ambition must be either
lie or greater thaa man, while he who in that
place rules and controls himself and his passions
writes his name in the hearts OF his countryman as
one to be initiated, loved and revered
OF you, sir, We can and do most truly say that
you have borne as an honest man should the cleo
trio and searching light of peoples vision as wen
as the inward outturning Of your efice and its
power, a0d that yo1r career as g Judge has
pur eSanplifed in a higher DECREE those Gifts
Of integrity and industry, those requirements of
study aud learning, and those pure principles OF
heat and practices OF lfe that made you respected
as man, honored as citizen, faithful as friend
aud renowned as lawyer, ere assuming the ernine
OF the Bench Uniform courtesy towards the bar
uniform kindness towards the suitors in your Court
adherence to the right as YOU understood
1t, and unwGyering fidelity to the teachings of the
great masters OF jurisprudence, have characterized
your entire term of official service. Clear in the
enunciation Of your rulings and decisions without
prde yet preserving due dignity, you have adorned
the Bench Of the capital city of the State and
proved yoCrself most worthy successor of these
Judges who occupied that seat before you and a
bright example to those who may follow you. OF
you and your service as Judge the whole people of
sacramento c0nnty are proud. The younger men,
ber5 of eur profession will miss you, for to them
you have ever been more friend and adviser than
4 Judge smoothing with able AMI unerring hand
that most difficult of all undertakings the trial by
4 lawyer OF his first case, and aiding, though not
unduy, the efforts CT those whose years of practice
were vet to be numbered and whose strength was
an unknown quantity even TO themselves.
While no doubt in Your successor they will meet
the same kindness, yet your memory will ever be
green in the traditions OF the law students of Sac.
ramento as Judge always helpful to g young law
yer. The older men-the Ulysses and Nestors of
our fratcrnity-will remember with pleasure the
days passed in legal combat" before you, for you
have treated all with great pCliteness and that
difference due age and experience, and have never
increased but always sought to tighten their
Physicians tell us that the human body changes
itself entirely in the course of seven years. and whIe
it is the same person. yet that it s in all physical
respects new man You, sir, have passed seven
years in the service of the people of Sacramento
county as Judge of their highest local Court, and
those seven years. while rehabitating your body
have not changed YOU either in mind or heart save
to increase your capacity for good to enlarge your
learning, wi lie elevating your character as man
and a Judge.
To-day, in 1882, Samuel c. Dsason-a rev man
the same morally as in 1875, with
his reputation as a man uutarnished and as Judge
mi brill ltnzr haa -ifrr
truth, his mind richer and stronger than ever,
while his VIII and power for good are greater than
at any time in his life, aud give promise Of a
G Jlaen harvest of good deeds in the future
We rejoice in your successful administrat Of
your great trust; We congratulate you and yours
upon the bright history you have made priceless
legacy to those dear children that greet you your
home: we sorrow at losing you from your long
accustomed post Of duty and beg you accept this
silver Get as faint but loving expression Of our
affection and esteem. May your days be long in
the land; may you prosper in private station !;
may you be with US our counselor and friend
il not as our Judge.
We receive you again into "the ranks" and, one
and all, We pray that the happy consciousness that
now so truly fills your heart, Of haviog during the
past seven years done your duty to your manhood,
your profession, your office and your country, NAV
ever attend you through life, making your days
happy and your dreams peaceful.
Farewell, judge benson. Welcome, lawyer Den
son. Accept, friend benson, this testimonial from
the Bar of Sacramento, all Of whom are your friends
and well-wishers.
In reply Mr.. benson said:
May it please the Court and Gentlemen of the
Bar | scarcely know what l say in response to
the very hlttering remarks that have been made by
Mr.. Johnson on behalf of the Bar, and / do not
know how to thank you for the high compliment
you have paid me and the beautiful preseIt you
have rendered me. | am not wei to-day. l am
suffering from nervous prostration succeeding long
and continued eXertion to close up my official abors
] have just been notified that something was to be
done / knew not what-and that has tended
to additional nervousness. A few moments ago
was informed that my presence would be desired
here, somethii was to be done. | suspected
sopethng, but not of any definite character SO that
am not prepared to make any remarks that will
be at all fitting suitable this occasion TO say
that feel flttered to say that feel proud to ssy
that ] feel honorei, sounds tame. Such words
are entire'y INADEQUATE 20 express the
feelings that well up in nv heart. Ii
| have deserved half the creut that your
kind and fatteriag address ascribes to me, then
indeed am happy. ] have trei to you i h.
fully. That have committed errors frequently |
know, and you know, and ] would not have been
human /. had not. But | must say this: That
wi h the many short comings which are attendant
on common humanity, this Bar has been kind and
courteous to for years, and it hls ever done me
the honor and credit to ascribe them to mistakes
made from human weakness rather than from any
desire 20 do wrong. | believe that the warmest
friendship exists between US. Upon my part know
il exists There is 10 set Of men ia the world
towards whom / entertain warmer and kindlier
feelings than | DO towards the Bar of Sacramento,
and hope il viii be our good fortune 10 remain