Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-03-29
Fay's Circular.

/ ray > SiISu
From Grant County Herald: Anoth-
err circular has been issued from Mr..
Cleary's bureau at Platteville which
| like the others from the same source
Is abusive OF Judge Clementson. This
circular Is signed up. II. Fay"
Whether 1t is so signed to take the
curse OF It's contents of from Mr..
Cleary TO some extent or upon the
supposition that the name =. II. Fay
will give 1t strength we do not know.
III the latter Is the idea IL Is a mistak-
en- one. p. II. Fay lives in Richland
Center. The people OF iichland Cen
ter know him to be an attorney with
out practice and person who Is de-
servedly without influence. The cause
OF his animus against Judge Clement
son is that some two years ago Fay
had q suit with a tenant OF bis; his
case was submitted TO Judge Clement
sons decision, a jury being waived;
Judge Clementson decided against
Fay and since then he has spent most
OF his time In abusing the Judge. 1t
WAS known last summer that he was
seeking candidate for circuit Judge.
Mr.. Cleary's candidacy is the OFT.
spring OF Fay's endeavor. 1t Is not
worth while to notice the personal at
tacks upon Judge Clementson made
by the circular. Ignoring that, the
point Fay tries to make against Judge
Clementson Is this, that since January
l, 1884, when Judge Clemestson went
upon the bench, until this time, there
have been 286 appeals from this cir
cult to the supreme court and that up
on these appeals 176 cases we're af-
irmed and ITO were reversed. To at
torneys these figures at a glance make
an excellent showing for the Judge.
They know that sum total OF 286 APP
peals In % years from this circuit OF
| five counties Is small number OF APP
peals considering the number of cases
determined, and they know that OF APP
pealed cases the records OF all su-
preme courts show that about one
half are reversed. The criterion by
which TO measure judges work,
however. Is not how many OF the cases
appealed from his circuit are reversed
but how do tho cases reversed compare
with the total work OF the Judge. At
torneys only appeal such cases as
they believe after careful investigation
the judge has wrongly decided. II the
appeals taken are few compared with
the total appealable cases, that shows
that In the estimation of the attorneys
the great mass OF business done by
the Judge Is done we'll. That Judge
Clementson has not only done we'll
but very we'll let few figures demon
strate: There are ten terms OF court n
year In this circuit, On the average
at least twenty Judgments and orders
are eQtarod NJ each term that are APP
pealable to the supreme court. That
would be two-hundred u year. Judge
Clementson has been upon the bench
twenty.three years and has signed
more than 1900 orders and judgments
from which appeals might be taken.
According to Fay only 2S6 appeals
have been taken. This shows that
43l4 OF these judgments and orders
were considered beyond question.
But OF the cases appealed according
to Fay's figures only ITO were reversed
so that OF 1900 appealable cases we
have 4i00 that stand as correct.
| This gives as the result of Judge
Clementson' work only one decision
In over forty reversed. 1t shows that
less than one half OF one case for each
term OF court he has held has been
found to be erroneous, This Is a record
OF which any Judge may be proud. 1t
Is this work together with the energy
with which Judge Clementson pushes
the work OF his term In the interest OF
the tax payers that has given him his
high standing "a Judge In the state.
Such n reputation cannot be tarnish-
ed by anything that may emanate
from Mr.. Cleary's bureau.