Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-04-12

Stephen Johnson Field was born in North
4addam, Conn, November l. 1916 His
father was Rev. David Dudley Field a Con-
gregational minister, and his mother Sub
fathers were revolutionary heores His
brothers were Cyrus w. Field of the sub
yer: Matthew w. Field, the engineer; Hen
~ Martyr Field. the minister; Jonathan
Field, president of the Massachusetts state
Senate, and Lieut.. Timothy Field of the
sat on the Supreme bench with him, was
his nephew.
nished by his brother Cyrus. He landed in
San Francisco and pushed on to MaryvilIe
where he was elected mayor and justice of
the peace. He introduced public fogging
and put an end to lynching He made
much money, but more enemies, one of
shoot him if he attempted to practice law
in his court. Mr.. Field soon lost his money
but was elected to the Legislature in 1851.
and had a new judicial system adopted
which retired Judge Turner.
Mr.. Field lived for years in an atmosphere
several times challenged. and several times
raced attempted assassination. and his repu-
f fa was that of man absolutely without
fear and without reproach. In 1857 he was
elected to the Supreme court of the state
by 10000 majority. He was always a
stanch Democrat but union Democrat,
and when the Civil war came on was large
~ Instrumental in keeping the state in the
Union. In recognition of these services
President Lincoln in 1863 appointed him Il
Justice OF the Supreme court Of the United
States.
Justice Field was a member of the cleo
t0ral commission of 1876, and voted with
the Democratic minority. In 1880 he was
Democratic candidate for the presidential
nomination, and received sixty-five votes
In the convention. When Justice Field took
his seat fancy was chief justice Soon aft
erWard Justice Field was one of the five
Justices who in the Milligan case declared
thn niI hnyiTx- Of
paramount to the military. In the legal
tender cases he always voted against the
cOnStitutiOnality Of the act.
Justice Field retired from the Supreme
court December / 1893. His term was the
longest IN the history of that tribunal. The
great Chief Justice John Marshall wore the
ermine for a period extending over thirty
four years. 1t was the ambition of the late
Justice Field to ssurpass this recond, and he
His friends, fearing that the strain of hard
work would shorten his useful life, adj
vised him to retire from his arduous duties.
But with interchangeable perseverance he
chung to his task until the latter part of
1897, when he had the satisfaction of hav-
ing fulfilled the ambition of his life.
During his incumbency Justice Field said
he alone had written 620 opinions, which,
with tifty-seyen in the circuit court and 36J
in the California Supreme court, made up Il
total of 1912 cases decided by him In his
life. He took issue with the styling Of the
court as an aristocratic feature of repub-
lican government, and said it is the most
democratic of all.
1T carries he wrote, neither the purse
nor the sword, but it possesses the power
of declaring the law and in that is found
mighty fabric of government from rushing
to destruction"
During this long service on the bench
Justice Field also was before the public eye
in other ways than as a judge of the Unit
ed States Supreme court II e was Il men,
Der of the Hayes-Tilden electoral commits
sion in 1877 and voted with the Demo
cratic minority. In 1873 he was appointed
by the governor of the state of California
one of the commission to examine the code
college conferred upon him the degree OF
LID. and in 1869 the regents of the uni
yersity Of California made him q professor
of law in that institution.
In 1889 one of the most sensational events
of remarkably active career largely
passed in a new country in process of de-
velopment from pioneer state to a highly
civilized community brought his personal
ity wildly before the public.
Sarah Althea Hill Terry had brought
famous suit against ex-senator Sharon, a
was on the bench. The outcome of the
case was unfavOrable to the plaintiff, and
engendered in her feelings Of hatred of the
jurist: This eliminated in her attempt to
chastise the aged justice in the dining hall
or depot eating house at Lathrop, Cal, rail
way junction.
Judge Terry. who had been her attorney
in the suit against Sharon, and who after
ward married her, interfered and when it
seemed that he was attempting to do VIC
lence to Justice Field David Maggie United
States deputy marshal. drew revolver and
shot and killed Judge Terry. Maggie was &C
quilted.
There was, however for many years in
tense bitterness between the friends of the
Fields family discouraged his discussion of
California topics or the perusal OF Callfor-
mia newspapers.
Of Tor