The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1888-01-05
MEMORIAL TRIBUTE,
To Judge Silas II. Wright.
BY His Successor, S. H, Bright, Delivered at
the Bar Memorial Meeting in
Logan.

the Bar Memorial Meeting in
Logan.
A prominent figure has passed
from the arena Of our local juris-
prudence. My Brethren of the
Bar have spoken so aptly and fit
.ingly of the life and character of
our deceased friend, that can only
briefly generalize.
Judge Wright was my senior
BY abont eleven years. and had
gained distinction before l bad left
the farm. | first heard of him as a
brilliant and rising young man who
had passed through college. prepar-
cd for the law. and entered upon
the practice of his chosen profess
ion.
l never but once heard him in
the trial of case as practiclng
lawyer. When l came to the "Bar"
he was on the Bench" In my
early efforts l was greatly encour-
aged by his kind words and led to
believe that it was possible for me
TO succeed. For years my practice
was almost exclusively before him,
and came to know him intimate
ly. I have often been impressed
by the breadth of his mind, the rioh-
ness of his diction, the granduer Of
his eloquence. and the kin dness Of
his heart. | have seen the dishon-
est litigant wriihs under the sting
of his scathing maleoiction; and l
have seen tea's of sympathy fall
from his eyes when the wrongs Of
suffering and outraged humanity
were presented before him.
He had a mighty grasp of the
broad principles of equity and ar
rived at conclusions by processes of
reasoning guided by high sense Of
Justice. When precedent was not
enough unless the cited case was In
harmony with his conceptions of
right, lie could look beyond tho
environments of party lines and
early prejudices and recognize merit
wherever 1t was to be found. He
greatly appreciated and admired
many speakers, writers and think
era who tuught doctrines to which
he never gave his consent. Indeed
1t may have been one Of his weak
nesses not to be absolutely certain
of the correctness of his owD views.
He was Iuminary whose light has
shown resplendentlY in our midst
for many years.
But alas! the manly form is cold
in death. The eloquent tongue is
silent; the light has gone out. May
we not hope that it is rewarded
in the realms of the
great beyond !?
Tho religious element in Judge
was DOT wanting. ] DO not
mean that he ever subscribed to
anybody's creed /; or even that he
was according to his own estimate
a christian. How few indeed do
come up their own conceptions Of
what they ought to be. l do not
speak Of the last months of his life;
In that time 1t was not my privilege
10 converse with him. He often
iiscoursed on those great questions
that echo and re echo in the souls
Of men, and will not down. he had
a grand conception of tine eternal
principles of truth. He believed in
the universal Fatherhod OF God,
and the universal brotherhood OF
In that broad expansive sense, at
east. he was religious.
In literature he had read deeply,
and hIs mind had poetical m ould.
To him then was poetry in the
rocks and trees, the hills and dales,
.hs shining orbs. the golden day.
he silent night, the passing zephyr
md the angry storm; and in all and
and above all be saw the hand of
Omnipotcnce.
We shall see him no more in the
arena of politics, nor IN the Forum
lor on the Bench.
Farewell Brother and Friend.