Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-02-18

e0mu9Dse c4mp4lgnef upon the huSttnG3.
AZ general thing, he was able TO encoun-
ter any speaker in his section of. the state,
in . manner credible to himself, upon any
Of the questions which he vas called to
discuss. He could be witty and amusing,
a the nature Of the case which he had
in hand would admit of, and could
talk when be pleased in melting strains Of
heart moving pathos. Humanity was his
God, and the human race the Supreme
Being. He possessed more native ability
than most of his rivals at the bar, but I'M
fortunately, he lacked industry and appli-
cation. He was unlucky in some of his
business enterprises, and was wholly des-
titute of what we call thrift" His social
nature finally led him into dissipated
ways; the love of drink grew upon him,
and he became his own worst enemy.
At last. on April 9. 1883. in his
law office in Troy, maddened
by the cup which had made time
q curse, he drained the poisoned chalioe
and opened, unbidden, the portals of etern
ity. Amidst vast concourse of friends,
read the ritual of the Masonic order over
his coffin at the church, and, also. beside
his grave when his body was committed
to mother earth.
My attention was first called to David
P. Lowe on reading notice of his nomi
nation as attorney general by the conven-
tion held at Lawrence September 90, 1862,
which selected as its gubernatorial candi-
date Hon. w. Il. Wagstaf. Mr.. Lowe de-
clined the nomination and Hon. Louis
Carpenter, of Lawrence, was substituted
In November of that year. he was
elected senator from the Thir-
teenth district. In October. 1864.
he succeeded Hon. Scion o. Thatcher
as Judge of the fourth judicial district
Upon the expiration of his term of office,
he was succeeded by Judge D. NJ. Valen-
tine. On March 4, 1867, he was appointed
Judge of the sixth judicial district. and
continued judge Of that district until after
his election to congress on November 8.
1870. He was renominated as candi-
date for congress September I, 1872, and
again elected on November 5, of that year.
Upon leaving congress. of which body he
was an able and faithful member, he was
appointed chief justice of the supreme
court Of Utah territory. Subsequently.
he returned to Fort Scott and succeeded.
in 1880. Hon. w. c. Stewart as Judge
again of his old district-thc sixth. He
continued to hold the Office OF Judge until
his death. on April 10, 1882
At the session Of the Legislature Of the
state for 1861, a United States senator
ives to be elected to succeed Hon. James
Fl. Harvey. The friends of Lowe present
ed him as candidate. and upon the SIX
teenth ballot the vote cast was: For
Preston B. Plumb, SO; for Lowe, G.. There
upon Preston B. Plumb was declared
elected.
Judge Lowe was a man of much intel
lectual culture and had a Judicial mind,
with all the term implies. He had a dis
taste for partisan politics. and was far re-
moved from political intrigue. To him,
the duties of the bench were much more
attractive than the labors attending con-
gressional life. As rule, he made the
most ample preparations for argument in
court, or for speech elsewhere; but when
ne did speak, it was with clearness and
precision that might well defy criticism.
He was eminently safe and honest legal
adviser, not very hopeful in the trial of
cases. but always, as a judge, able, pro-
found and popular. He was well proper
toned in size. of fine appearance and always
we'll dressed; he never seemed to forget the
proprieties Of his positson, or INDUCED, to
the least extent, in unseemly affection or
trivia ity. He was anxious for a seat upon
the federal bench in this state. and when a
successor was appointed to Hon. Mark w.
Delahay. upon his retirement from the
United States district court of Kansas.
.l,Age Lowe was greatly disappointed in
not ha,ilg leen ell ed. He hid few
>uyerIurs upon the dist riot bench, and was
deserving of wider field for the exercise
Of his eminent judicial qualities. He was
man of spotless integrity,
and universally beloved. By
his death. the state lost useful
citizen, the bar one of its brightest orna-
ments, and the bench wise and Just
Judge.
Of the persons who have served as chief
justices of the supreme court. it is safe to
say, with full appreciation of the abilities
of others, that Hon. Thomas Ewing, Jr..
and Hon. Samuel A. Kingman, are pre-
eminent.
Thomas Ewing, Jr., came to the terrific
~ of Kansas at an early day, seeking fame
and fortune. In his favor, be had the in
huence of the name of distinguished
family, and was the possessor of brilliant
talents. He seemed to have been
born with indomitable confidence in
his own capacity for self-advancement.
Speaking of him as knew him when cit
izen of this state, he was of handsome pres
ence, of suave and polished address. gen.
tlemanly and dignifed in bis demeanor,
and forcible and impressive speaker. He
was deemed by some reserved and cold in
his manner. but those most intimate with
him credit him with great social quail
ties and an intense devotion to his friends.
He had the quality of attaching persons to
him with hooks of steel, and ever afer-
wards they were not only his ardent sup
porters, but earnest admirers. He was a
member of the free state conYen-
ton at Lawrence in 1857, and in
1853 of the territorial commission
which exposed in detail the fraudulent
votes cast for the Lecompton constitution.
He was one of the officers of the free-state
convention held at Topeka in 1858, and in
the same year was member of the Leav-
enworth constitutional convention. He
was one of the vice presidents of the Osa-
watomie convention held in 1859, and as
member of that convention greatly assis-
ted in organizing the republican party in
Kansas. He was nominated chief justice
by reclamation at the republican
state convention held in Lawrence
n