The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-10-24
WORDS FOR JUDGE WILLIS.
Man of Great Learning and Fitted for
the bench.

NUN Oh Gfe:t Learning ana Fitted for
the Bench.
To the Editor of the Globe
Dear Sir-I have waited, for 10 these
many days, to see some one write in yindi-
cation Of our popular and upright candi-
date for associate justice of the supreme
court, but l waited, alas, in vain.
The course his friends pursue, in totally
ignoring the base ISLANDERS and lies assert
ed by the opposition press throughout the
state is undoubtedly wise one, and one
that will win for Judge Willis an untold
number of votes. They may rdicule and
vituperate him, but ridicue is no argument
and vituperation of the character of a man
like John w. Willis is but handful of
mud thrown at a marble column, tits soon
washed away, it does no good, and a great
deal of harm.
Public opinion is never permanently
moulded by Misrepresentation, and truth
will out sooner or later.
OF his candidacy 1 prefer to let others
speak. OF his character 1 will say this:
Judge Willis is a man of principle consid-
crate, firm, frank, honest and conscientious.
That he has been the friend and champion
Of the people generally, he neither does nor
can deny. That he has refused and still
apparent to all who familiar with his
political career. Hence the opposition of
the latter, continual and untiring as it is.
And does it not seem remarkable that
more attention is paid to Judge Willis by
his opponents than to all the other candi-
dates combined? Should he triumph over
such opposition he is certainly to be con-
graduated. There is one feature in particu-
lar l propose to call attention to. 1t is his
judicial conduct. 1t has been stated, and
the statement widely circulated, that Judge
Willis has proved a failure as district judge
the number of his decisions reversed by
the supreme court being, it is said, far
greater than the number of affirma tons;
or, one editor remarked, nearly every
one of his decisions has been reversed"
This statement provoked my suspicion
and curiosity, so took pains to investigate
the true status of affairs. This is the re-
suit UP to date. The supreme court has
affirmed sixteen Q6) of his decisions, re-
versed fifteen 90, and modified one %.
In one reversed case Egan VS.. City of St.
Paul, Judge Willis merely sat with Judge
Kerr, and as is known to members of the
bar. Judge Kerr prepared both the decisi On
and memorandum.
Another of these reversals was in the case
of Francis VS.. Western Union Telegraph
Company, wherein Judge Willis decided
that the plaintiff could recover damages
for mental distress. The supreme court re-
versed this point, but was obliged to sus-
tain very important ruling in the same
case, to-wit: That the ''fine-print condi-
tons limiting right Of recovery for negli-
gence, usually found upon the back of
telegraph blanks, were void, as unreason-
able and without consideration" The pub
lie, by this decision, in many others
made by Judge Willis, gained an important
vindication of their legal rights.
Many of the cases coming before Judge
Willis were. as the lawyers say leases of
new impression" wherein the ablest jurists
may honestly differ, and wherein the de-
cision of the highest court, although differ
ing with the court below, involves no in
vidious reflection upon the latter Such,
notably, were the state elevator case, the
ticket scalper case and the telegraph case
already ment toned.
When we consider that the record of
Judge Willis as district judge is equal to
| that of any Of his compeers, notwthstand-