The record-union., 1896-11-13
In his response to the toast, the latter

| In his response to the toast, the latter
said:
| Mr.. Toastmaster and gentlemen: In
listening to the remarks Of my friend
Devlin and those who have preceded
| n m, I have been troubled with two
regrets. The first arose from con-
| sciouSness that not tithe of what has
| been said Is deserved by me. The sec
ond is from a still kneener regret that
my wife is not present to hear it..
Laughter and applause.) She unfor-
tunately reads the newspapers, and
am convinced that of late she has been
| coming to the conclusion that l have
been engaged in a somewhat disreputa-
bic occupation. daughter)
But after all, gentlemen, and Mr..
Toastmaster, you have not dealt fairly
| with us this evening. You know that
upon the mimic stage there are those
who carry the banners, as General
| Clinie would say, and the 1000
swelled the numbers of the army, and
threw their caps into the air when the
| star appeared. In the slang of the
stage, they are said to be taking their
parts. We were to be allowed, at least
during this evening, to take think
ing, but not a speaking part, and it is
in speaking parts particularly that I
excel. l feel that my associates on the
bench will not say that is so. Those
Of you who are in the legal profession
VII call to mind that in the lower
left-hand corner Of an opinion there
is written, under the name of the au-
thor, the two simple but significant
words, I'VE concur" Under that brief
but powerful inscription you will al
ways find my name. There is where
my thinking part comes.
| Gentlemen, SO far as the thinking
part Of it is concerned, it we'll nigh be-
longs to Sacramento. You had our
learned and beloved Chief Justice as
one of your townsmen, You have JUS
tlce Mcfarland and Justice Van Fleet,
and even Justice GarOutte, whose alb
sence we all regret, just across the
| river. Four, then, Of the number are
yours. But it is pleasure to those of
us who cannot claim SO intimate and
close an acquaintance to know that
your hearts are big enough to take us
all in. (Applause.)
1
said SO many kind things of me, I can
only reply that the opportunity should
be given me on some future occasion to
propose his health and speak to the
toast. Let it be, therefore, 1 suggest, at
the next banquet given to us, and on
that occasion, gentlemen, two things
will result to our mutual happiness.
The one, that we shall have the pleas
ure Of dining with you again, and the
other that what 1 shall take pleasure
In saying to Mr. Devlin will pain his
ears, and you will have the satisfaction
once in your lives, as well as the sur
prise. of seeing a lawyer blush Gaugh-
| ter)
| JUSTICE VAN FLEET.
E. B. Willis was the next speaker.
He said:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen: I have
ilstened with much pleasure and sat
lslactlon to the compliments which
have been paid to several of the dis
| singuished guests of the evening, and
heartily concur in all the good words
| spoken.
l snail now take the liberty Of in
| Producing the name of a gentleman In
whose career Sacramento takes espe-
l'clal pride, in which the State shares
SO mOdestly dissentient have been the
replies of his judicial colleagues con-
cerning the eulogiums pronounced up
On them that l am impressed that these
expressions are mere dicta, oracular.
ana not amounting to judgment of the
| court L am warranted, therefore in
saying that we are profoundly glad to
have as one of our guests this evening
our old townSman and DISTINGUISHED
citizen, Hon. w. c. Van Fleet, and
! tnat Whatever we say and think of
! hIln permits of no dissent.
! sacramento takes especial pride in
hlm because he was representative of
ner best young manhood. He was the
youngest citizen she has ever elevated
to the bench. | we'll remember. when
he was proposed for the ermine, that
the objection of his youth was the onIv
one raised against him. How splendid
ly he shamed the objectors is known
to you all. He was also distinguished
III another way, unusual and signjfi-
cant. Judge Van Fleet, in common
with his venerable and honorad COL
league upon the Superior bench was
taken up out of political atmospheres
ana placed In the seat of Justice as
tre nominee of both the great oppos-
ing parties Of the time, a thing so un
usuai and so complimentary. that it is
pointed out as landmark of pride in
the history Of our county.
When he resigned his high office TO take
on the burdens of more lucrative labor
we knew perfectly well that he would
not be lost to us, for though he re-
! moved from our midst it was brt a
short time before he found place on
the Supreme bench, and he was again
honoring us as we had honored him.
ms citizen of the whole State, this
Juflst whom we proudly placed upon
me pench as representative young
man OF Sacramento, this gentleman
| WfoSe record has been one of distin
Snlshed honor for the city that pre-
sented him to the State, this Judge
| whose career has been an example for
the emulation of all young men, and
| Whom, despite the fact that he has
iett US, We still still claim as one of
| us, L now have the pleasure of pre-
| senting to you
Judge Van Fleets health was en-
Enthusiastically received, and in respond
ing he said:
Mr. Ioastmaster and my old-tirne
! iFiehds OF sacramento: 1t is peculiarly
embarrassing to be called upon to re-
spond to a toast so decidedly personal
! IN ITS character. This occasion has
been an exceedingly pleasant one to
me, coming in honor of the court of
which | have the honor to be a MEM
oer-pecuiiarly pleasant because it
| comes from those who did So ,,onob ~