The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-10
HIS SILVER
ANNIVERSARY.
Justice Harlan Completes 25th
Year on the Bench.
The Event Is Celebrated by a
Banquet in Washington.
ROOSEVELT SPEAKS.
The President Was in His Hap
piest Vein.
Says Being in Same Union With
Southern People
Is Worth Fighting for Twice as
Hard as Was Done.
The President Was in His Hap.
piest Vein.
Says Being in Same Union With
Southern People
Is Worth Fighting for Twice as
Hard as Was Done.

the United States at the New Willard
hotel last night to Justice John Marshal
Harlan in recognition of the completion
of rs years of service on the bench OF
the supreme court was a brilliant iuhc-
ton. The banquet hall was handsomely
Illuminated and the tables e!ahorately
decorated with palms, American beau
ty roses and laurel
In the absence of Attorney General
Knox, Wayne MacVeagh presidea-
When the guests had been seated grace
was said by Rev Richard D. Harlan OF
Lake Forest Ill. eldest son of the Jus
tice who had come to Washington es-
neciallv for the occasion. Justice Ear-
Ian was in his happiest mood and gave
every evidence of his apprecia ton of the
honor bestowed on him. His two other
sons James Harlan. chief 1ustlce ol
Porto Rico and John Maynard HaIldn
of Chicago. also were present While Mrs.
and Miss Harlan and a host OF frienus
were interested spectators in the gallery.
A hidden orchestra played popular airs
throughout the evening.
Interest in the banquet outside of JUS
tice Harlan. centered in President Roose-
Welt. His arrival shortly after s;3V
o'clock was the signal for great purSt
of applause. The president Warmly CON
graduated Justice Harlan, grasplng MN
by both hands before taking ms seat.
Those at the banquet included members
of the cabinet, several senators ana rep
resentatives member of the supreme
court of the United States, of the court
of claims and of the local courts, ana
a number of eminent lawyers from out
side the city
When the time for speechmaking ar
rived Wayne MacVeagh, in a few ap-
propriate remarks, introduced the pres
ident who spoke as follows;
Mr. Chairman, and Gentlemen: 1t is
a peculiar privilege to be here tonight
as one of those gathered to do homage
to a career which has honored America
1t is difficult to say certain of the truths
which must need be said without being
guilty of truisms in saying them 1t is
not an idle boast of this country When
we speak of the court upon which MT
Justice Harlan sits as the most illus
triOus and important in all the civilized
world. 1t is not merely our own people
who say that-it is the verdict or otner
nations, as well.
Mr. Justice Harlan has served for a
quarter of a century on that court
During that time he has exercised an
influence over the judicial statesman
shin of the court of kind Such as is
possible only under our own form of
government For the judges of the su-
preme court of the land must be not
only great jurists, but they must be
great constructive statesmen, and tire
truth of what 1 say is illustrated by
every study of American statesman
ship for in not one serious study OF
American DOlIicdl
BILE to omit the immense part played by
the supreme court in the creation not
merely the modification of the great
policies through and by means of which
the country has moved on to her present
position.
Thrice fortunate is the court when it
has as one of its members a man WHO
has played a great part in other spheres
of our complete life. Mr. Justice Harlan
came from Kentucky. state in which
the patriotism of the people was put to
SO peculiarly a severe test in the civil
war In the states of the farther north
It was easy for the man to make up mis-
mind on which side he would unsheath
his sword. In the states of the farther
south it was equally easy. In Ken
lucky the task was difficult one. re-
member Mr.. Justice, being told by an
American who was a staunch friend OF
yours, and one of the greatest lawyers
and most patriotic citizens whom this
country had-John Mason BrOwn-that
he came back from trip from the west
as a young man of q just al the hmo
of the outbreak of the civil war. Just
after Sumter had been fired upon, and
his mother brought down to him the
sword his father had carried in the Mex.
lean war and said to him: My son, this
is the sword your father carried. I hope
you viii draw it on the side that de-
tends the flag for which your father
fought, but for one side or the other.
draw it you must (Applause) In any
audience in any state function, take II
as far north as you wish, l can appeal
with confidence to the people I address
when I say that. next to the homage
we pay to the men who proved tina
truth of their endeavor as they battied
in the union uniform, is the homage We
pay to the men. who, with equal sim
certify, with equal devotion to the right
as it was given them to see the right,
wore the gray. And none pays that
tribute of regard so frankly as those
themselves who wore the blue in battle.
And having said that. I sure that
none of my friends VINO fought in the
confederate service will misunderstood
say when l say that the greatest debt
owed by this country to any set of men
is owed By it to these men of the Sc
called border states, the men who In
craftsmanship followed Clay and the
Crittendens and the Blairs. the men
who as soldiers fought ON the same side
with Thomas and with Farragut, the
men who were for the union without re-
gard to whether their immediate assO-
ciates were for it or not. In New York.
in Massachusetts, in Illinois, in Iowa. the
men who stood for the union went with
the stream. In parts Of Kentucky, cf
Virginia, of Missouri they stemmed the
torrent. And. gentlemen. / am half a
southerner myself Two of my uncles
fought in the confederate navy. One of
them served under the father-in-law of
Vice Governor Luke Wright of the Phil
iDDine islands And 50 7 think I have
the right to say that knowing the south.
ern people as I do, ] would heartily ad-
Tocate fighting twice as hard AS you
fought from 81 10 IS for the privilege
of stsying in the same union with them
(LaughterD
THE man to be a great statesman on
the ber.ch of the supreme court must
have many qualities. and fortunate are
we that this evening we can point TO
Justice Harlan as embodying them A
good citizen must be good citizen in
Deace and in war He must have the