The sun., 1884-02-24
REcoLLEcrroNs OF A oAnpErBAeoEh.
A Pen-and-Ink Picture Of Florida judges
After tho War.

A Pen-and-Ink Picture Of Florida judges
After the War.
LIVE OAK, Fla. Feb. 15.--The Florida
carpet -baggers thoroughly lawless themselves,
OF course had but very few lawyers in their
ranks. His Excellency, the exile from Wiscon-
sin. Gov. Harrison Reed, was obliged to gather
into tho legal ingredient OF his astonishing ad-
ministration some OF the Southern material
that was lying around loose. for use in organ
izing his Judicial Department. 1t was good
thing for the State that this emergency arose.
otherwise there would have been utter demor-
alization. / have always wondered that Reed.
awily old politician. failed TO rise equal to the
occasion. and grapple with IL as strict partl-
san should have done-appoint To the Judiciary
men who had no knowledge OF law. as long as
they had the true carpet bagger brand on them
tho strawberry mark on the left arm so to
speak. II Purman, our apotheosis OF carpet
baGgerism. had been Governor. he would not
have hesitatcd II moment. The Judicial De-
partment would have been IA lncongruous as
the rest OF the State Government.
But Roed did nrst-rate in his selection Of
Judges. This act entities him to a certain de-
gree Of lenioncy on the day OF Judgment. Tho
Supreme Court was composed of a Chief JUS
ticc and two Associate judges-a sort OF trim
ity. but not by any means a blessed one-whose
names were respectively Edwin NJ. Randall.
Ossian B. Hart. and James d. Westcott. Tho
salary of the Chief Justice was 1880 n year;
that of tho Associates was 81 600.
| Chief Justice Randall came to Florida from
either Wisconsin or New York or both. and
was unknown to fame until this honor was
| thrust upon him. sayo as the near relative OF q
| gentleman who was once Postmaster General
of these blessed United States. Physically no
| Is puny. but ilne-lookinG. with crisp. curly
| hair aud beard. gently threaded with gray.
| In his green and salad days he must
| have boon something of masher." There
| is nothing lordiy or imposing in his personal
| appearance such as n judicial officer Of that
rank and life position in novels always has.
He is q man Of high personal character.
IN able lawyer. and an upright Judge.
After his appointment he kept aloof from the
dirty and disrcputable pool OF politics. and
| thus Won and kept tho respect of both parties
and the people in general. disarminE whatever
suspicion might otherwise have attached 10 his
decisions. He res s.des in Jacksonville now. IS
prominent IN all public movements. and should
bc proud OF the es TEEN IN which he s he d. as
very few OF the carpct-baggers have come any
Associate Judge Hart was native Flordian
81 9Tdnnry asIy and not 9[ mHeh re-
poe, Ossinn; doubt whether the Judge himself
knew the d ference between poem and a
fried chicken. But he was II southern loyaiist.
| win AL that the name implies: and in order to
add strength to the party and bring u vast as
Republican fold. it WAS thought very necessary
to bestow office upon their representative men.
ing 10 take oilice. Judge Harts father, l. b.
Hart was one of tho earliest settlers in the
time he. owned a large portion Of the land upon
which the city OF Jacksonville now stands. In
S12 there wa Tas sreat onery and 81 samor M
John the Baptist with dirty shirt, bad breath.
and EreEaneH in every county crying ,I, 1nt to
teres;ed patriots known to the unhappy car
pst,hasgSSrsi as Southern oyGs,s had no.
mated for Governor he could control large
portion Of the native vote For the first time
OF life. crawling out OF the all igator holes and
in and the in to %s
things, were being managed. The Conven-
ton that nominated Hart for Governor
bled the Carpet Bag Ring discovered that two
thirds Of the legally, chosen delegates were
Tre%snrer. This would never do; It Would lie
fatal to their interests and a death blow to
determined enemy 10 the Ring. Something
desperate must be done. They controlled the
troIied tho organization OF the Convention. In
utter defiance OF right and usage they throw
up up some Of bis men. and so Killed him OFF of Tor
tho time. by palpable fraud on the r1rt OF
the secretary & Of the Convention. Mt: u. L.: l.:
highest number Of votes; He would have been
declared the nominee but for the ctamor that
arose. 1t was bedlam let loose. The lie was
drawn. and a large number OF the deiegat es
Stearns, with u sickly- looking smile on his
broad face, declined the nomination. The
vention, He was nominated stearns receiving
the second place on the ticket. 1t was known
s .hs Sa, .e @ a yenv ny am
In nominating this ticket the carpct-baggers
| oil M ,vl "a t.n tal
worldly wealth in the struggle and died shortly
The other Associate Judge. Westcott. was a
with a residence al, Tallahassee. He is a very
and nS YOU'D be dredt o
OF d Az sns ,bs aSs bs Th,
The CreuitJulios we're Homer G. Planh. P. W
5amss M4s T M"5., ny'GH and T. G nRr # rde t. doaf
rlantzY who vas from Michigan, and was Al
me- men W" Wien appointed, and ali Of them .' ha'
pretty rsspectabln legal regulations.
qualities, gentleman by birth and education
well rrah OF str9ns ] Literary tas" & and GenIa tt
great lnvc OF convyality.
, Judge White wasa man OF golden qualities
Gf IS Il m III il any aS Ta ID 'Hs o wo ns t. am .@9 & 1G
ssthcr oy@i, Tie Judge once made an at
tempt 10 dis over tho famous Florida volcano
, but n. he came back without it. tho genera
opinion Is thai he found nothing but chis an'
fever and lots Of red bugs. At any rate. tn
; mysterious smoke is still there to ruzzc tn
. hehoidcr with its uncannncss. Judge White
served out hi4 term Of eight years faithful,
md well, and is now Il member Of Gov
I BloNham's Cabinet.
. Jui,:o BrysOn was n North Carolinian b,
birth. bus mad been citizen of Florida 70
many years. He was n man Of strong prelu
dcns and impulses. Of good natural powers
well rcnl in the law. and possessed OF nm in
, dpmitabe will. He served out his term an'
died II Live Oak little more than q year ago
, He was II chronic invalid, and his last hour
were made wrctched by ceaseless pain.
Judge Long or Tom Long rs he was Away
called. was one Of the most erratic men ever ol
tho bench. He could chew as much tobacG
! and oXpectorate as much as Jero Black in hi
, paimest days and hs could tell mint julie
from glass of lemonade every time. He wa
n Georgian By birth. and tho most uneasy an
restless politician ever connected with a party
+ Political principle sat terribly light on him. an