The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-08-12
WHY NOT JUDGE LOCHREN9


the Supreme Judgeship. In fact-and
it is no secret-the placing of his
name upon the ticket was hoped for
by the great mass of Democratic
voters through the state, and many of
the more prominent delegates in the
convention labored hard to bring
about his nomination. But the con-
vention was made up of a majority of
men who seemed to be infatuated
with the idea that success at the
polls demanded the endorsement of
such Democrats as had already been
nominated by other parties, and the
domination Of such a spirit outweigh
ed consideration of superior fitness,
long, faithful and consistent devotion
to party, coupled with a record of
loyalty and and patriotism of country
which will shine forth on the page of
history with lustre that cannot be
dimmed by the ravages of time nor
furnished by the ingratitude of men,
But the Democratic party may
usually be depended upon to resort to
expediency and trample upon justice.
In all fairness Judge Lochren should
have been nominated by the Demo
cratic convention in the alternative
thatit could not down partisanship
to the extent of keeping the judiciary
out of and above politics by the nomi-
nation Of the present justices. His
ripe experience as lawyer, coupled
with his long service as Judge of the
Fourth Judicial district, to say moth
ing of his high character as man
and patriot, would as member of
almost any other party, made him in
vincible as a candidate for position
to which he could bring such elements
of strength and such ripe experience
as jurist. But he was turned down
for what? To make room for lawyers
whose experience on the bench is lit
tie or nothing, but who are supposed
to possess the requisite vote-getting
qualities and who had the nomination
of the Peoples party as the only for
chile recommendation.
In this connection, and to afford
the public little information as to the
sort of man Judge Lochren is, we give
briefly something of his life. He was
born April 3. 1882, in the county of
Tyrone, Ireland. His father died the
next year and in 1884 his mother with
other relatives came to Franklin coun
ty, Vermont; and he resided there,
and for time in Canada near by, at
tending the common schools and en-
gagged in farm labor until the spring
of 1850, when he went to Auburn,
Mass, where he worked at farm labor
and in saw mill four years, except
that he attended an academy acOuple
of terms in this time. In the year
1854 he returned to Franklin county,
Vermont, and began the study of law;
and was there admitted to the bar in
June 1856. Coming west the Judge
settled at st. Anthony, in August
1856, and began the practice of law.
In the spring of 1857, he became the
partner OF James r. Lawrence, Jr.,
and the firm continued until shortly
before the Civil War. He was also,
from 1858 to 1861, an alderman of ST.
Anthony. At the outbreak of.the re-
bellion hee nlisted as Private in
Company E of the First Regiment
Minnesota Volunteers. He was pro-
NOTED to Sergeant May 10, 1861, Sec
ond Lieutenant Sept. %, 1862, and
First Lieutenant July 3 1863, and was
Acting Adjutant OF the regiment for
three months following the battle of
Gettysburg. He was present and took
part in every battle of the Army of
the Potomac during the first three
years Of the war, except the battle of
Chancellorville, when he was away
from the army on leave. At the close
OF the campaign OF 1868, a severe
throat disease, resulting from expos
ure, induced him to resign, and he
was honorably discharged on Dec. 30,
1863. He returned to st. Anthony,
and resumed the practice of law. In
1865 he was Democratic candidate for
Attorney General. In 1868, he was
elected State Senator in a strongly
Republican district, and served as
such in the sessions of 1869 and 1870.
In the spring of 1869, Hon. w. w. Nc
Nair became his law partner, and in
1873, Hon. J. B. Gilf1llan was added to
the firm. He was one of the delegates
to the Democratic National Conyen-
tion of 1872, and was for eight years
thereafter member of the Democrat
ic National Committee. In 1874, he
was the Democratic candidate for
Judge of Supreme Court; and at the
1875 session of the legislature was the
Democratic candidate for U. S. Sena-
tor in the long contest which resulted
in the election of Judge Mcmillan. In
1877 and 1878, he was City Attorney of
Minneapolis; and on Nov. %, 1881, he