The news & observer., 1905-12-26
HON. JAMES ALEXANDER LOCK-
HART.

HART.
There will be profound regret in
North Carolina at the death of Hon.
James Alexander Lockhart. which oc-
Cured at the Presbyterian Hospital
in Charlotte on Sunday morning. after
a long illness. For months his friends
felt that recovery was doubtful, but a.
few weeks ago he seemed to improve
and they were buoyed up in the hope
of soon seeing him return to his career
of usefulness. He died in the prime
of vigorous manhood, commanding
a practice second to that of no man
in his section of the State, and in a
career of great usefulness as a citizen
and leader
James Alexander Lockhart was born
in Anson county June End, 1850. He
was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Adam
Lockhart of Arson county. He in
herited strong common sense, the
highest virtues patriotic love of coun-
try and devotion to the rule of the
people. He was prepared for college
at Mt. Pleasant Academy and gradu-
ated at Trinity College in 1878. He
read law under the late Maj. c. Dowd,
of Charlotte. and began the practice
of law in Wadesboro in 1874 and prac-
ticed continuously until stricken down
with his fatal illness. He was a pro-
found lawyer, deeply read in the fun
damentals. Like jefferson he believed
in, dro of
his faith in popular government from
that Master. The lawyer whose knowl-
edge does not go further back than
Blackstone has not learned the foun-
dation stones upon which free govern
ment and justice rests. Jefferson
thought it was superficial reading by
lawyers OF his time that made so many
of them Federalists. 1t is like super
ficialty of reading or a wrong direction
in their studies that gives a. afFederalistic
bias now to too many lawyers who
distrust the peoples capacity for self
government as much as the Federal
lists did. Mr.. Lockhart not only be-
came a profound lawyer because he
read Coke and Littleton and was a dill
igent student of the great law writer's
and historians, but it made him also a
Democrat in the best sense of that
word-a Democrat of the type of JEFF
ferson and Jackson, who governed his
political life by the same principles
which controlled them. The advantage
of a mans thus building his political
house upon Il foundation stone of rock
was we'll illustrated in the case of Mr..
Lockhart. He was never turned aside
by the blowing of any wind because h
had a creed that could determine the
wisdom of any proposed measure. 1t
was largely due to his leadership that.
though every other county in his sec
ton was lost to the Democratic party
in 1894 and in 1896, Anson kept the
udder true and never was represented
in the Legislature by any but Demo-
Gratis. There is a robust type of De-
mocracy in Anson county that is sur
passed nowhere. Mr.. Lockhart was
helped by it in his youth and his
leadership gave it power and perpetu-
ity. and his influence will be seen in
the years 10 cOlfle.
Mr.. Lockhart represented Anson in
the House in 1879 and his district in
the State Senate in 1881 and was
recognized leader in both bodies. In
1894 he was nominated and elected to
Congress in the Sixth Congressional
district and, though hasassed by
contest served his district so we'll and
so acceptably that he was re-nomi-
mated in 1896. He went down with
the whole Democratic State ticket, and
never again was candidate for public
office. 1t was unfortunate for the
State that he was the victim of the
Fusion era that cursed the State for
four years in that it denied to North
Carolina the high public service he
would have rendered. 1t was fortu-
nate for the State, however, that in the
era which called for heroic and un-
selfish souls. Democracy had cham
pion so able. SO courageous, so devoted,
to sow seeds that have since borne har-
vests for the reaping by mon who
were beneficiaries of the magnificent
campaigns made in those years by
such patriots as James A. Lockhart,
Cyrus B. Watson. Frederick A. Wood
ard, Thomas w. Mason. and Charles
Manly Cooke. They went down in de-
feat, bearing aloft the banner. but the
service they and men like them rem
dered in every county i'll the
State for the cause of good gov