The news & observer., 1905-12-26

charged up the heights of Gettysburg,
because they loved the cause and were,
true to duty, is not easy to measure.
It is in the time of trial that you test
man. BY that test James A. Lock
hart was shown to be pure gold.
There was breadth and a loyalty
to his ideals in Mr.. Lockhart that
gave him high place. There was moth
ing little or envious in his make up.
When the General Assembly of 1901
created four new judicial districts. the
name of Mr.. Lockhart was presented
to the Governor for appointment as
Superior Court Judge. He was easily
position and many hoped the Governor
would name him. However. moved
largely by personal friendship, the
Governor gave the appointment to an
other gentleman, who has made an
excellent Judge. Mr.. Lockhart had not
been an active candidate. His old
time ideas forbade such a course.
Time went on, and when the time came
to nominate a Superior Court Judge in
that district. efforts were made to Sc
cure Mr.. Lockhart's assistance to de-
feat the appointee of the Governor.
Those who did not know him supposed
he would resent the appointment of
the younger man. Not so. BY
simply saying the word, he could have
defeated the-appointee, and secured
the judgeshiD for himself He refused
to say that word, and declared that,
having been named by the Governor
the appointee became his judge and he
wished no friend of his to seek to COM
pass his defeat. To that magnanimous
act Judge Neal owes his nomination.
1t was Characteristic act of that un-
selfish and broad-gauged gentleman,
and is told here because it is one of
many incidents that illustrated the
generous spirit of the man whose
death is denlored by a host of friends.
No man in North Carolina had a
truer appreciation of the evils of COM
bined capital and the danger of polit-
ical control by gigantic corporations
than Mr. Lockhart. He believed in
giving justice alike to the poor and the
rich and there wasn't a scintilla of the
demagogue in his make up. But he
was profoundly convinced that it was
necessary to restrain the great public
service corporations and to prevent
the exercise by them of influence in
politics. He saw the coming of such
blights as the insurance scandals and
railroad manipulations have brought
to the attention now of the man who
cannot see an evil tendency until he
tastes the bitter fruit. He knew that
certain causes would produce certain
results. He saw the corruption Incl
dent to corporation influence in poll
tics as well before the bud put forth
as the rest of US see it now in
the fruit. He believed that popular
government could rest upon no other
basis with safety than upon the whole
people, and that if money or aught
else corrupted the suffrage or legisla-
ton the fountain would be poisoned
at the spring. To his friends he point
ed out the evils in wholesale expendi-
ture in politics that first engulfed the
Republic in 1896. He did not shut his
eyes to the evils, and foresaw that it
would require public courage of the
highest order to save the Republic
from those evil influences, but he be-
lieved in the saving virtue cf the
masses ard had faith that the good
would triumph and government of and
by and for the people would be pre-
served. to- the. American people.
AS a. lawyer. MIR. Lockhart was in
the highest rank. both as counsellor
and as advocate, As a man. he was
honest, honorable, frank, and straight
forward. You always knew where to
find "Jeer1es Lockhart," as Judge
Bennett referred 10 him when placing
him in nomination for Congress. His
vision was ne-er beclouded by love of
money or ambition, and he looked
clearly at public questions and judged
judiciously In his home. he was the
ideal father and husband, illustrating
the best of the virtues of his race.
II leaves to his children an honorable
name-unsullied-a that is legacy
of greater value than ducal revenues.