The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-10-22
Useful Career Of
]. Franklin Fort.
The Training and Experience
That Eminently Fit Him
For GOvernorship.

Mount Holly. His father was in 1866
81 a member of the house of assem-
bly,, and his fathers brother was Gov
ernor George F. Fort, who held the
executive Office from 1851 to 1853
Young Fort remained in Pemberton
until he was twenty-one years Of age,
leading the life of farmers boy and
having his share of the country boys
hardships. His early education was
secured in Miss Nicholson's private
school in Pemberton, and after that he
went to the Pemberton academy,
where his teacher was Charles e.
Hendrickson, warm personal friend
of the judge and in recent years his
associate on the supreme court bench
Justice Forts next tutor was
William Hutchinson, afterward well
known as "John Sands" under which
name he wrote articles for the New
York Sun. He then went to Mount
Holly institute, conducted by Charles
Aaron, and from there he went to PEN
nington seminary, where he graduated
in 1869.
In the fall of 1869 he entered the law
Office of former Chief Justice Edward
M. Paxton, who was then a well
known practicing lawyer in Philadel-
phia, but six months later Fort was
compelled to return to New Jersey be-
cause Of Mr.. Paxton's appointment to
a common pleas judgeship by Govern
or Gerry of the keystone State. Upon
his return he entered the office of
EVAN Merritt in Mount Holly, and in
order to help pay his expenses while
studying he taught school at Evan
vile. He was also in the Office Of
Colonel Garret S. Cannon at Borden
town, from which place he went to the
Albany Law school, where he gradu-
ated in 1872 with the degree of LII. B.
Among his most intimate friends and
a roommate at the law school was for
mer Chief Judge Alton B. Parker, can
didate on the Democratic ticket for
president of the United States in 1904
4 iAAS AA1CnOoA1R sui COnttnuGc.
Returning from law school without
having attained his majority, Fort
again entered the office of EVAN Mer-
rift, and in November, 1873, having
Just passed twenty-one by a few
months, he was admitted to the bar.
When Mr.. Fort returned from law
school the Greeley Grant campaign Of
1872 was in progress, and he entered
that campaign for General Grant with
vigor. During the next three months
be made twenty-seven speeches in
south Jersey. In the winter Of 1873
be was made assistant journal clerk
Of the assembly, and he also held the
same position in 1874, earning money
enough to reimburse his father for
every cent the latter had spent on his
Justice Fort went to Newark at the
solicitation of John w. Taylor, then
president of the senate, who was at
that time the senator from Essex.
Hardly had he settled in Newark be-
fore he became interested in politics,
and in 1874 he went on the stump for
George A. Halsey, the Republican can
didate for governor Shortly after this
Mr.. Fort married Miss Charlotte
daughter of former State Sen
ator William Stainsby of Newark.
In 1878 Governor Mcclellan appoint
ed Mr.. Fort judge of the district
court in Newark, and he was reap
pointed by Governor Ludlow, but re-
signed the Office in 1886 to practice law.
In 1884 he was elected a delegate at
large by the Republican state conven-
lion to the national convention held
1t Chicago. At that place, with six 9TH
ers, he acted Independently and voted
'or George f. Edmunds of Vermont for
md then voted with the rest Of the
Jersey delegation for James G. Blaine,
whom he Loyalty and vigorously sup
ported after the convention. In 1889
he was chairman of the convention
which nominated General q. Burd
Erubb for governor and toured the
state with him and was greatly disap-
pointed at his defeat. He was also
chairman of the Griggs convention in
1895 and was a speaker with the latter
IN the "whirlwind" campaign Of that
year, which resulted in the election of
he first Republican governor in thirty
years.
In 1896 Judge Fort was delegate to
he national convention at st. Louis,
1t which Mckinley and Hobart were
and, speaking for New Jer-
,ey, he placed the name Of Carrot A.
Hobart before the convention. He was
llso chairman Of the committee on Gre
lentials at this convention and pre-
sented the majority report for that
committee which read the notorious J.
Edward Addicks Of Delaware out Of
The Republican party. Judge Forts
speeches denouncing Addicks and later
Hobart gave him nation
Il reputation as an orator.
Governor Griggs appointed Mr.. Fort
Judge of the court of common pleas Of
Essex county in December 1895, and
IN May a, 1900, he was appointed a
Justice of the supreme court by Gov
srnor Voorhees,. The date Of his ap-
continent was the anniversary Of the
late of his coming to Newark
Since his appointment to the supreme
bench Justice Fort has sat in many
If the counties of the state and made
friends in ALL He has presided over
he courts of Morris, Sussex, Mon
mouth, Middlesex, Ocean, Union and
hudson counties While in Monmouth
county he directed the movements
which drove the gamblers from Long |
Branch In 1902.
Justice Fort has made speeches in |
lifferent parts of the country on vari- |
Jus subjects by request. In 1899 he |
made tour of European prisons I'M
Ter a commission from the United |
States and reported on them upon his |
eturn. The idea of probation and in
Ieterminate sentences was such a new
me that when Justice Fort drew the |
original bill providing for them for
he senate and house he had trouble in !
,etting any one to father it. A hear |
ng was given on the BILL and Judge |
Fort appeared In its behalf, with the
esult that it passed by unanimous
'ote in each house with the exception |
# one man.
Justice Fort removed from Newark |
o East Orange in 1889 and has lived !
It 81 Arlington avenue, north, in that
.ity since that time. He has three |
Miss Margretta Fort, Frank
in W. Fort. lawyer in Newark, and |
leslie R. Fort. editor Of the Lakewood |
Times and Journal. Justice Fort at
ends the Proshvtorion ohuroh ord % 4