The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1902-06-20
DEFENDS TAPPAN.
Judge Law Resents Unjust At
tacks Upon His Colleague.

To the Yale Expositor:--
have Just noticed in sheet headed
"The Search-Light," the responsibility
for the publication of which is assumed
by Cyrus a. Ilovey and George G..
Moore, an article rejecting severely on
the legal ability and experience of Iar-
vey Tappan, one of the judges of the
circuit court of ST. Clair county. IL
seems 10 me that this attack is so ar
rogant, vicious and untruthful, that IL
calls for some public comment by me,
one Of the judges of the same court.
This article comedies that Judge
Tappan's personal character is OF the
highest, and that his integrity is un-
questioned, but pronounces him badly
deficient in legal learning and expert
ence and further adds that he "had
never tried case in the circuit court
i'm his life"
In the first place | pronounce this
latter statement as absolutely and un-
qualiiedly false. There is no question
for opinion here rs the records of the
circuit courts of St. Clair and Sanilac
will show, and am astonished that any
member of our bar should make such
an untruthful statement.
| have had personal acquaintance
with Judge Tappan extending over
many years. He is man Of mature
judgment and of broad culture and ed
ucational alacquirements. He graduated
from the law department of the Univer-
sity OF Michigan In 1887. Within few
months after he received his diploma
he became the author OF a work on
school law and the educational history
Of Michigan, which book received the
most favorable Communications from
some of the most learned lawyers and
educators of the state, and became n
standard authority on the subjects
treated.
AS a rule, n lawyer located i'm a viii
lage at some distance from the county
seat where the circuit court convenes,
does not haye the practice in this court
that he would have did he reside at the
county seat. nor does he have the actual
court practice that another lawyer of
equal activity, ability and learning has
who resides at the place where the ses-
sions of the circuit court are held.
Judge Tappan's experience has been
no exception TO the rule, and as a trial
lawyer in the circuit court his practice
has not been so large as that of the
average lawyer in this city, but he has
had sufficient experience To make him
familiar with the rules of pleading and
practice. a good lawyer who becomes
judge soon gains experience in the
rules of practice and In the details of
judicial work. Even II he lacks pro-
llciency In these respects he soon ac-
quires IL IL he has the other necessary
qualifications. l can say after nearly
two months of almost daily observation
"a ufa hnN he
cism that he is not competent because
OF his lack of experience in circuit
court trials is groundless. One of the
best judges that Michigan or any other
state or county ever produced went on
the bench with no more experience I'm
the actual trial of law suits than Judge
Tappan has had.
What are the other qualifications Of
n judgep First we will say high per-
sonal character and unquestioned hon
esty. These are characteristic qualities
OF Judge Tappan so plainly in evidence
that these critics have TO admit that he
has them. Second, legal learning
Does Judge Tappan fail herep / say
without any hesitation that he does not
and affirm that he is well grounded i'm
the principles of substantive law.
cite as authority the twenty-seven law
yers of the st. Clair County Bar who
endorsed him for the position he now
holds, twenty-seven out Of thirty.four.
only seven voting for other candidates.
/ cite the committee of the bar COM
posed of Judge Stevens, "A. T.. Chad.
wick and Joseph +. Walsh, who per.
sonally signed letter 20 the governor
of Michigan extolling Judge Tappan's
qualifications for the bench and asking
that he be appointed circuit Judge. /
cite the intelligent and responsible men
In that part OF the county I'm which |
Judge Tappan has resided for the past
thirteen or fourteen years, and who |
have consulted him in legal matters |
and who have relied on his advice. | |
hold up the work he has performed dur
ing his occupancy of the bench. Dur |
ing his career I'm legal practice Judge |
Tappan has had much experience as q !
consulting lawyer In cases I'm and ont. |
side OF court. | have never noticed |
that he advised the public through the |
of every matter In which
he was engaged; In fact, | think IL Is |
his custom 90 avoid newspaper noto-
riety about his legal work, so that may |
account for the fact that the editors OF /
The Search-Light" are not informed /