The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-03-22
MANKAro FREE PRESS.
FRIDAY, MARCH az, 1850.
BENJAMIN F. TRACY.
A MAN OF PLUCK AND A GOOD
LAWYER.

Some Account Of His Interesting Career
I'm the City of Churches-Hls Opening
Speech I'm ths TIiton. Beecher Trial-A
Great Man for Hogs
Probably no man has ever led a more
prominent life before the public and
given it less attention than Gen. Benjamin
F. Tracy. When the charity commits
sioners of Kings county, N. Y, were
indicted for malfeasance in Office in 1875
and retained him as counsel, he was ap-
preached by their political enemies and
threatened with n loss of business, II he
did not withdraw from the case. His
reply was, IN stand by my clients If
they are the last ones will ever have"
He kept his word, and after a long and
bitter litigation, he secured their ac-
quittal and discharge. Far from injuring
his professional career, his conduct and
success in this case increased his clientele
80 per cent. numerically and at least 100
per cent. financially.
In the court room he is a mastery
lawyer and persuasive and forcible
but never an eloquent speaker. The
chief if not the only exception to this
rule occurred in the famous Tilton-
Beecher controversy In which he deliv-
cred the opening speech for the defense.
This Grafton was the gem of that great
trial, and was printed, quoted and read
wherever the English language isspoken.
1t was published in book form after, and
met with q sale of over $4,000 copies.
The speech was not an impromptu, as was
believed by many who could not con-
ceive how q lawyer could write an adj
dress which lasted five entire days. On
the contrary it represented the hardest
work imaginable. 1t was planned and
started months before the trial. Every
day he dictated at least 5000 words and
revised, corrected and changed as many
more. There was not q sentence he did
not go over at least five times before it
was spoken. During the three weeks
which preceded his address he sat up
every night with his secretary and oc-
casionally with friends from o'clock
until in the morning, and on five even
ings until sunrise in the final revision of
the grafton.
AS politician Tracy has few equals
and possibly no superiors in the Empire
state. He began his career In the sos in
Tioga county, then a strong Democratic
district. a stanch Republican at the
outset, he twice was elected district at
torney, and each time by handsome
majority. After the war he opened a
law office in New York, making Brook
Ign his home. The City of Churches at
that time was controlled by close cor
poration, consisting Of Republican and
Democratic politicians. So far as party
machinery was concerned the two parties
played each into the others hands. Un-
der such auspices corruption and fraud
tiourished everywhere, and the city debt
was rolling up by millions. Tracy opened
war upon the foes in his own household,
and, though opposed by the machine,
routed them foot and horse. With Gen.
James Jourdan and ex-Canal Commits
sioner Silas B. butcher he organized his
party and became its recognized leader.
He was sent to the state committee, and
for many years held as high a place In
the councils of the latter as in his own
city. Of late years, on account of his
vast law business and mercantile rela-
tons, he has taken little or no active
part in politics, although he has accepted
delegateships to nearly all the Republi-
can conventions of any Importance.