The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1884-07-11

Who Declines Kenomina!ion to the Nation-
al Congress.
Was born in Westtord, Vermont, November
1916 His early education was obtained in
such district schools as the time and region in
which he lived afforded. At the age Of II he
was an errand boy, hostler and clerk for vii
lage merchant, and while thus employed learn
ed to write and acquired the rudimentary
knowledge OF business. He then assisted his
father four years on the farm and as a house
carpenter At the age of II he entered an acad-
emy and remained five months and this "fin-
ished" his schooling. When Is years old he
left lis home to seek his fortune in the busy
walks of life. He took with him spare shirt
and stockings tied up in a handkerchief, and
went to the neghboring village of Morristown.
There he taught a district school during the
winter and in the spring began the study OF
law, and after due time was admitted to the
bar. He was register of probate of Lawrence
county in lS39-40; was member of the state
constitutional convention of Vermont; was
prosecuting attorney in lS44-45; was judge of
the supreme court of Vermont from 1913 to
1865, and in 1850 was made chief justice
The mental qualities and traits of character,
the exercise and development of which had
raised their possessor so rapidly to his high
standing as u lawyer, marked and distinguished
him as Judge. With mind of great native
strength, quick in its perceptions, rapid in its
operations, given to reasoning by practical,
direct and forcib'e logic, he easily and with
sort of spontaneous gracefuness addressed
himself to judicial duties in a manner which
showed that in making him judge the state had
put "the right man in the right place. None
have held that position in Vermont who more
effectively, uprfghtly, and acceptably have min
istered in the dispensing Of justice aceoTdG to
the rrirepcs arl fcSsas III iaM. With 4 Nil
possessed placidity and deberateness OF man
ner that never faied him, with fortitude and
firmness that were strangers to fear or waver-
ing, he was at the same time courteous, COM
PLEASANT and kind SO that while the most SER
vice-hardened, confident and captiouS member
of the bar yielded in differenta subordination
to the power above them, the most ineXperi-
enced and diffident were inspired with courage
and confidence in their efforts to do profession
al service in the courts over which Judge Po-
| land presided.
| AS judge in the supreme court sitting in bank,
| his adaptedness to the place was equally mani
| fest. His mastery of the principles of law, his
discriminating apprehension of the principles
|
veloping by logical processes and practical il
lustrations the proper applications and results
of those principles, are very str1kinglys evinced
| in the judicial opinions drawn up by him con-
tanned in the Vermont reports. His memory
| of cases in which particular points have been
| decided, is extraordinary; and this memory is
accompanied by very full and accurate ap-
prehenson of the very points and grounds
! and reasons of the judgment. Some of the
cases IN which he drew the opinion of the
| court, stand forth as leading cases, and his
| treatment of the subjects involved ranks with
| the best specimens OF judicial disqusiton.
l. Since leaving the bench Judge Poland has en-
! gagged somewhat in the practice of law appear
ing in important cases in the state and United
| States courts, both at home and in Washington.
He has, however, devoted himself more espec-
tally to politics. At the outset of his profes-
sional career he developed a taste for politics,
| and soon became an influential member and To-
cal leader Of the Democratic party. When
| the free-soil wing of the Democracy took
| open ground in 1913 he was its candidate lieu
| tenant-governor of the state. On being elected
| judge he withdrew from active participation in
party politics. Since the organization of the
| Republican party he has been one of the most
| sincere and uIwavering of its members
| In 1861 he received the degree of doctor of
laws from the university of Vermont; was ap-
| pointed to the United States senate to fill the
vacancy occasioned by the death of Jacob Col
lamer; was elected to the fOrt'eth and forty-rst
congress, and was reelected to the forty second
| congress as Republican, receiving IL, ,4I9 votes
against 3,206 votes for l. S Partridge, Democrat.
| He was reelected to the forty third congress
| and has served most Of the time since and has
| just declined a congressional denomination.
| Judge Poland has figured conspicuously in his
| congressional career as chairman of several i'm
portant committees among others the commit
! tee on Ku-KluXsm, the committee on the Cred
| it Mobilier investigation, the committee on the
| question of the "Arkansas governorship" I'M
der Grants administration. In all these he was
chairman and discharged the difficult duties
devolving upon him with great sagacity and
tact. He was known by both parties i'll con-
gress to be judiciously fair and has never been
carried away by partisanship in any Of his du-
| ties.
| TWe are indebted to d A Clifford st Johnsbu-
ry's leading photographer, for the photograph
| from which the above accurate likeness of
| Judge Poland was made.