New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-19
NUDGE DALYs ACrIHE 0AREER
Hp wmLnzsrRvBp ELEVATION.


A POWERFUL FORCE AeAINsr CORRUPTION IN
THE DAYS OF rwExD-HoSoRES AS
CHIEF JUSTICE.
A mother and her two sons csne TO this city nom
Plymouth. H. G., about forty years ago. ieAvins BE-
nina them dead husband and father. Tho mother.
nrobsbly actustcd BY the conviction OF Oil mohrs as
her boys vere sure to make their influence olt IN the
World. wanted to give them the advantages OF the
superior schools of largo city, and Co. wnen toe pres
emit Chief Judge Joseph r Daily Of the Court OF COM
mon Pleas, was about eight years Old, ne ana nis
brother Augustin arrived In this CITY, The mothers
pr,de tn this case was not misplaced. Tho father OF
he two boys settled ss Plymouth carly In tho present
century and established shipping and humber trade
He died in 1850. and. - has been sad, the mother
brouxht her two sons to this city. The boys were
.ent 10 school ana as soon possible they went out
IN the world to earn their own living and reputa'
on which, not that Of genluses, is one OF whcp they
ard their pcsterity might wen be proud.
Augustan began life as newspaper reporter and
v.s successivey reporter, dramatic critic, playwright
and MANAGER At present he occupies the same
relative position toward the public that his brother
does in this that his influence is In the direction
of progress and improvement In every enterprise
with which his name Is connected. Josepns
tastes led him to the law. He studied
With the Rooeevets nephews Of Judge Roosevelt. and
tss at once he had established q COED business ct
about the time that Tweed and his henchmen were
getting control Of the city. The surfng times be-
tween 1885 aud 1870 found him exceedingly busy
with his practice as attorney for the Chemical Na-
tiopal Bank. Judge Roosevelt and others
The citizens who were trying ct that time to res
cue the city from tho gang Of thieves who had con-
troll Of It, found in the young lawyer Just ths KIND
of material which they needed to accomplish their
ends. lie was retained ~ the attorney for the
plaintiff In the suit broug' - the late John Hecker
10 restrain tho frauds In the Street Department In
the days OF Street Commissioner Boole. This was
one OF the first actions instituted by Engle tax
payer for the common good OF oil the people OF the
CITY, on behalf OF all other taxpayers, and 1t was tbs
Of o riot in the City Hall Park a MOP assem-
bled on the day that the argument was to be heard
in the Supreme Court Chambers, and when Mr. Hecker
was seen approaching the courthouse, which was
then the brownstone building now occupied by the
criminal courts, he was pursued ana asssuVca ro
was rescued by being taken into the judges private
room. The police soon Arrived and cleared tne ouiio-
Ing. which was held by the rioters, and the srgu-
ment Of the case proceeded before the a'e 'uose III
graham.
Judge Days name had been made by that
TINA and lie WAS soon afterward retained
on behalf OF the late Christopher Pullman. well Known
in bs day for his courageous efforts to stem the
growing tide Of corruption He brought In Mt
Iumans behalf suits to restrain the Ietung Oh Get
tain waseful contracts, the consuThmauon OF winch
was then threatened. Tho fact that Mr. Pullman
u-.s also tho victim OF mob violence shows how COM
n,ote,v the ring had the city in its power. Mr..
pullman was assaulted in Third-avc. and barely e.
CAPPED with his life. lie bore marks OF the rough
treatment which he received on that occasion LOT
the rest OF his life.
Those were days Of violence. when It was by no
means as safe as IT is to mako efect resistance
TO raids upon the municipal treasury. Whcn the
climax came, Mr. DAILY was chosen TO institute pro-
cecdncs before Governor Fenton, at Albany, Tor the
impeachment OF number OF city officials. He prose-
cpted the cases before the Governor and the success
OF his efforts and that Of his associates Is mater
of history. Working with him were the late Jom
MeKeon, Judge Whiting and Judge Emott
About this time he was chosen secre'
tary OF the Board Of Legal Adaisers'
Of the Citizens Association, of which Board Charles
O'Conor, Charles Tracy, Benjamin d. silliman' Al
exander Hamilton, IT,, Judge Benjamin W. Bonney
Dorman H. Eaton and other lawyers, some OF whom
were the most eminent at the Ncw-York bar were
members Many of the most important enactments
OF the Legislature, having for their object the re
strainng and reducing Of local expenditures, were
drawn by Judge Daily. In the year 1869 radica
changes were made in the State CONSTITUTION ~
number of Judges were added TO the Court Of Common
Pleas, seven new judges were elected to the Court OF
Anpcas and the terms Of all the judges werO
lengthened to fourteen years
special spring election to follow out the pro-
visions of the amended Constitution was held IN May
1870 and Judge Daily was elected to the Court OF
Common Pleas, together with the late Hamilton W.
Robinson Charles II. Van Brint and Richard L. Larrc
more for the term Of fourteen years IL was
singular fact that though This was when tho Pwced
ring was at the zenith Of its power the leaders OF 1t
seemed TO be anxious Of giving evidence OF desire
IN make the new bench Of the Court OF Appeals ana
the Common Pleas fully worthy OF their reputation
This anxiety was indicated by the selection OF Hamu
ton W. Robinson, Richard L. LaTemore, Charles H.
Van Brunt Sanford E. Church, Charles A. Rapano
Martin Grover Charles Andrews, Rufus ". Peclham
and others, who werc elected on the same ticket
with Jndcc DAY. practically without opposition The
mbseoucpt career of these judges indicates that tho
evident desire to choose urists OF eminent ability ana
rreproachable character was successful.
These Judges were the first ones elected In TINS
State for the long term Of fourteen years and 1t Is
noticeable fact that every Of them who survived
that period was reelected for subsequent period OF
the same duration The only survivors at the present
time OF the Judges then elected arc Judge Andrews
who is still in the Court Of Appeals; Judge Won
Brnt subsequently elected to the Supreme Court ana
now presiding justice Of the First Department. Judge
Iarremore who recently resigned on account OF III
health. and Judge Daily. The present chief judge
was reelected In 1884 for second term Of fourteen
years along Wlth JuoBc LHlcihoiO' A""S' oi.''"e"
Judge DAILY IS stu comparatively young man. he has
served twenty years continuously on the Common
pleas bench. an experience shared by only q few
living judges.
When Chief Judge Charles p. DAILY (who was no
relation to the present chief judge. resigned In 1885,
1t became question whether Judge Joseph F. DAILY or
Judge Larremore would be his Both judges
had been on the bench for the same length OF time.
but finally Judge Larremorc was chosen, he being
the senior in acc by several years When Chief Judge
Larremore unexpcc tedly retired short time ago IT
Judge DAILY was the senior judge the Common Pleas
bench BY several years. and In choosing him to be
chief Judge his associates did inst US thoy were OK
peccd to do . -.
Judge Days career on the bench Is matter OF
70 DO ashamed His action toward both lawyers and
fttigants has boon such that no one cond complain
Not breath Of scandal has ever been sttacned to any
without first carefully considering the case from all
points Of view: When he does decide point while