The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-01-02
News and Observer

North Carolina at h death Of Hon.
James Alexander Lockhart. which oc-
Cured at the Presbyterian hospital in
Charlotte on last Sunday morning. aft
ter a long illness. For months his
friends felt that recovery was doubt
full. but a few weeks ago he seemed 70
improve and they were buoyed I'D in
the hope of soon seeing him return to
his career of usefulness. He died in the
prime of vigorous manhood. command
ing a practice second to that of 10 man
in his section of the state, and in a
career of great usefuless as a citizen
and leader.
James Alexander Lockhart was born
in Arson 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 1872. He
read law under the late Maj. c. DoWd,
of Charlotte. and began the practice
of law in W~adesboro 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 belleVed
in Coke and drank deep portions or
his faith in popular government from
thai Master. The lawyer whose known
edge does not go further pack thai
Blackstone has not learned the foun-
dation stones upon which free govern
ment and justice rests. Jefferson
hcugh it was superficial reading by
Of his time that made so many |
of them FederaliSts. 1t is a k super
fcialty of reading or a wrong dlrect'oh
in their studies that gives a FederailStlc
bias now to tOO many lawyers VINO
distrust the peoples capacity for sen
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 dli-
igent student of the great law writers
and historians. but it made him also a
democrat in the best sense of that
wOrd-a democrat of the type of JET
ferson and Jackson, who governed MS
political life by the same principles
which controlled them. The advantage
of a mans thus building his political
house unon a foundation stone of rock
was we'll illustrated in the case Of Mr..
He was never turned aside
the blowing of any wind because he
had a creed that could determine mel
wisdom Of any proposed measure. It
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, Arson kept the
true and never was represented
in the Legislature by any but demo-
Gratis. There is a robust type of de-
in Arson 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 to come.
MI. L.ockhart represented Arson in
the House in 1879 and his district in
the state senate in 1881 and was a
leader in both bodies. In
he wa nominated and elected to
Congress in the Sixth Congressional
district, and, though harassed- by a
contest, served his district SO we'll AMI
so ~acceptably that he was
mated in 1896. He went down with
the whole democratic state ticket, and
never again was a candidate for puonc
office. 1t was unfortunate for the
state that he was the victim of the
Fusion era that cursed the state for
four years, in hat it denied to North
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 I'M
souls. democracy had a cham-
piOn so able, so courageous. SO devoted,
to SOW seeds that have since borne har-
vests for the reaping by men who
were beneficiaries of the magnificent
campaigns made in those years by
such patriots as James A. LOckhart,
Cyrus 5. 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 in the state for
the cause of good government in those
memorable campaigns when they |
walked to defeat with as much cour-
age as men charged UP the heights OF
GETTYSBURG. because they loved the i
cause and were true to duty, is not
easy to measure. 1t is in the time Of
trial that you test a man, By that test
James A. Lockhart was shown to be
pure gold.
There was a 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
the ablest lawyer suggested for the
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 a%ppointee of the governor.
Those who did not know him supposed
he would resent the appointment of
the younge Not so. By
simply saying the word. he could have
defeated the appointee. and secured
the iudgeship for himself. He refused
L. u. that word and daclarod that