The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-09
JUDGE BAKER HON0RED
RECEPTION AND BANQUET TO AN n
DIANIAN AT CHICAGO.
Addres by Attorney General w. l..
T~ayIor-Praise for n Great state
and Its People.

CHICAGO, May 6.-Judge Francis K.
Baker, of Indiana, lately appointed judge
of the United States Circuit Court for the
Seventh circuit. was given a reception and
banquet tonight at the Grand Pacific Ho-
tel by the Chicago Bar Association. Among
the one hundred and hftey guests were
many Of the prominent lawyers of Chicago.
The speakers included William l.. Taylor,
attorney general OF Indiana; Judge c. c.
Kohlsaat; former Justice S. p. shope. OF
the Illinois Supreme Court: Judge j. H..
GIIett. and Judge Baker. Mr. Taylor said
in part:
The center of mental development seems
10 have Travelled westward upon the lines
OF longitude and settled down and become
stationary in Indiana. Are you aware that
more copies of books written by Indanians
have been sold in this country within the
last ten years than copies OF books written
by authors of any other State during the
same periOd2 Walk into our intellectual
pantheon and look about you. There are
Edward Eggleston and Lew Wallace. John
Hay and Joachim Miller. James Whitcomb
Riley and Maurice Thompson, Charles Ma
jor and George b. McCutcheon. George AIDE
and Booth Harrington. Are you aware
that more people are nightly entertained at
firSt-class theaters In this country while
watching dramatized plays of Indiana au-
thors than sit before the rising curtain
where dramatiZed editions OF books written
by authors of any other State in the Union
are presented?
yes, we have an intellectual trust in In
diana: one that deies laws. lawmakers and
law enforcers. Why, sirs. this proposition
has become so thoroughly established that
Indiana authors are proposing 10 levy q
protective tariff upon base foreign imita-
tors. AIDE and McCutcheon retain their res
idence in Indiana for fear OF this discrim-
mating law.
'The neld of craftsmanship has been
equally fruitful Of results. Every man
but one elected to the presidency Of this
beloved Republic within the last forty years
has been either from Indiana or from one
of two States adjoining Indiana. Lincoln.
Grant, Hayes, Garfield. Harrison and Nc
Kinley. Call the roll OF the great OF all
times and see how well these men measure
up with earth's mighty dead. The star OF
empire has moved westward on Longitude
inal lines. and empire founders. construc-
tors and preservers have followed this star.
Lincoln. the patient man; Grant, the silent
man: Hayes, the conservative man; Gar
field. the eloquent man; Harrison, the
learned man. and Mckinley, the beloved.
nave each in turn honored their State.
brought renown 10 their country and led
in the grand march for the liberty of man.
woman and child throughout the world.
I'm the laws peaceful pursuit We have
not stood still nor marked time. but have
kept pace with the other great States OF the
West.
Look again and see the Marshails. Nor
ton, Mcdonald, Hendricks. Voorhees,, Nor
ris. Harrison. Gresham. Woods and the
Bakers. These men. Gach IN turn. nave en-
riched not only our literature. but our laws
They have been the master masons IN the
building of our legal structure. some OF
them laid it's foundations; others built up
it's walls; others put on its guided dome.
and still others garnished and finished It's
splendid interior. is IL any wonder, there
fore, that we are proud of our legal his
tory?
I'VE have met tonight 10 do honor to
one who has been called to a larger field.
who will most worthily perform the LIES
task given him. IL is peculiarly fitting
that these three great States OF Wisconsin,.
Illinois and Indiana should be joined in the
same federal circuit. We nave the same
federal origin. the same federal history
and the same federal destiny. We all came
out OF the great West together; We were
all wrested from England by the same little
army; we were all carved out Of the mighty
West by the same act George Rogers
Clark. with his flashing sword. leading the
charge against the old wooden barricade at
Vincennes. hauled down the British flag
from over US all. From kaskaskia and
Vincennes we date our beginning.
In these great middle West States abide
the masterful, conservative forces OF the
Republic: these forces must finally prevail
AZ our country endures. What better field
for debate and for decision OF the pending
questions that press now for solutiony
WHAT better forum Is there for the de-
termination OF the questions OF federal
control OF public cOnveniences and private
necessities than in this central West2
Where else in this country OF ours could
less passion be aroused and less bias OF
opinion prevail than In this heart or the
Republic2 This is the heart from which
the arteries radiate until they reach the
remotest capiilaries OF commerce. Let the
debate proceed; let the decision here be
rendered. Here, in the central West, In
great questions that present themselves for
final Judgment"