The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-26
CHARLES HATT0N.

] SudTleS datIOn is the fSepuDuCdN CALL
! didate for District Judge. He is an ar
| dent and leading champion of the free
coinage of American silver regardless of
| international agreements. and a strong
+! anti-Protibit;onsst. Once in his Efe he
! committed perjury. Listen to the story.
/ His father was an Engi:shman, who came
early in the century TO H;llsdale. Michi-
/ gan. He was tailor by profession. In
lSA9 a son came TO bless his home, son
he named Charles Taking his family in
1854. Mr.. Hatton moved to Clinton and
Lyons. Iowa, two towns close together
| on the Mississippi river. Here young
Charles attended the public school and
| later the Western Union Military acad-
envy just across the river. 1t was in 1852
| that a prod5gious event occurred in his
/ life. The shrill voice OF the fife and the
roll Of the drum broke on his ear and on
| his heart. The 18th Iowa Infantry was
being formed in the town, the youth and
einew and brain of the city was falling in
and Shouldering guns, and preparing to
go south TO battle and to death. Young
Hatton. after profound study and re-
Election accosted the recruiting officer. He
him if he (the Officially appreciated the
gravity Of the situation IN the south; if
he realized how necessary 1t was for him
to take everybody, old and young, to de-
fend the country. For crushing proof he
rolled up his sleeve and showed that re-
cruiting officer his lump of muscle. The
official looked at the boyish arm and
laughed and refused to take him.
A few days later that regiment left on
barges down the Mississippi river. Down
in one of those barges among the proyi-
sions, almost suffocated, with his heart
beating fast and hard, and his eyes red
from lack of sleep crouched Charley Hat
ton. He was discovered hours after
ward. 1t was too late to send him back.
He was taken on to Helena, Arkansas,
where he fell in with the Illinois cavalry.
They proposed to send him home, but
there was no one to take him. After a
year a colonel Sickles by name, was sent
back to Illinois, and Charley, fearful and
protesting. was fired along with him.
He hadn't been home for a day until he
figured on getting back and helping save
the country. He went to the recruiting
officer and displayed his physical tough
and could stand it again. And more than
that he said he was eighteen years of age
and then and there committed perjury,
and as with Uncle Toby's swear word 1.-The
accusing angel which few up to heavens
ohancery with the oath, blushed as he
gave it in, and the recording angel as he
wrote it down dropped tear upon the
word and blotted 1t out forever" He
went to war; and a drawer man than he
there was not in the whole army of the
north. He was mustered out at the close
of the war, at Selma, Alabama, and dis
charged at Springfield, Illinois. When he
returned home ITO Iowa he studied law,
and was admitted to the bar in 1870. In
March, 1872, he came to Wichita. He
went into partnership with Henry c. Sluss
in 1873. the two dissolving partnership in
1853, when Mr.. Sluss went on the bench.
w. E. Stanley was Also in the firm at
that time. Mr.. Hatton was assistant
United States attorney under Garfield,
Arthur and part of Clevelands first term.
He was city attorney of Wichita from
1875 to 1881, and is now president of the
school board, which positions he has filled
with great credit.
AS a legal expert, Charley Hatton is
famous for his knowledge of books and
what Is in them. There is not an i'm
por:ant decision or standard opinion in
all the range of legal works that he has
not at his tongues end. Always reading
and delving, he has become known TO the
best attorneys of this part of the state
as an authority on all close questions Of
precedents and judicial dictum.
Still that great teacher, Experience, has
put more of the judge in Charley Hat
ton than Blackstone or Coke can give
him; more than musty tome or dog-eared
commentary can impart to any man; more
than tireless study of precedent or gar
nered fund of memorized syllabi can teach
him; more than written law, with its
mutations commandments and flexible
cons tructions, its clashing interpretations
and conflicting opinions, more than writ
ten law, framed for justice and too often
used for wrong. more of the Unborn, d.
vinely-tempered. heaven-forged iron judi
cial spirit than all written law and all
enactments. precedents, rulings and in
eerpretations can teach him.
He is one of the people. He Is poor
The majority of the American people are
can people are independent. He has
tasted the Iiegs 10 the 1espest-the lees
of bitter misfortune, of personal despair,
of blasted hopes, of crushed ambition
Broken and torn and tortured, he has
risen, and his resurrection stands and
will stand, gloriously dominant and as
sertive, in this community, an example
and a precedent to all men and To all
women and to all youth of the sublime
victory that follows the bitter battle with
the enemy Of perverted appetite. Having
felt their sorrows, having tasted, piece
meal. the nauseous food of their advers-
ity. having groaned and staggered under
their load of unjust, Unequal burdens.
Charley Hatton is of the common people
and with the common people. Ills hear;
is in touch with the sorrow and wrongs
of their lives His mind finds leniency
for their shortcomings and excuse tor
their mistakes. His whole experience IL
life has taught him the doctrine or fair
ness. upon which law first stool, the
equality between man ani man. tie in
equality. oftfnes between 'iugdnt and
litigaut, the hooks and crooks OF c1Hten-
ton wterewirh justice IL SO frequently |
He knows these things. He kno~s
them not alone by section and page aai
paragraph and line. but n know ;hsm |
out Of the book OF human l.fe. out Q, the ]
book which no man who has noi struggled /
and won can read And yei this man.
the man who struggled and Won, who re-
formed himself, was removed from petty
position by a police board OF snisetns
fanatics.
But this Is Charley Hsttcn- The one
slsn,sn. in hts character tina. outsiiines an II