The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-01-22
HONORED BY
HIS PEERS.
[ooNrISunp FRoM FIRsr PAGE.

gOgue, II you Illuh ue1NO nD' 49,
deluded into installing any Of these
for sound public policy; if / have
been Indifferent to the voice of the
siren Popularity; if / have not been
misIed by the dreams of the socialist,
and if. on the other hand, have been
deaf to the more subtitle, and there
fore more dangerous, suggestions OF
wealth and power; if, in fine, you
think have kept my mind fixed sole
ly upon the problem of mastering the
case presented and arriving at a just
conclusion without fear or favor, and
have had the courage to proclaim
that result without regard to conse-
quences to particular individuals, IN
50 far as | have succeeded in this re-
spect in not falling behind my breth-
rem. lust so far am willing to accept
this testimonial as an assurance that
I have achieved some degree of jul
dicial success and that I am warrant
ed in understanding this tribute to
mean well done, thou good and
faithful servant"
And here l deem it not out Of place
to assert on behalf of myself and ev-
cry Judge in this broad land, that
when in the course of judicial duty
he shall have arrived at and pro-
claimed his Judgment, he is entitled,
as a part of one of the three great
and independent departments of the
governmental system, both State and
National, of this country, to the po-
sition of absolute independence and
freedom from personal criticism from
any other person, either as an indi-
vidual or as a member of any other
department of the government. The
man who attempts, except by lawful
means. to influence the judgment of
a Judge commits a palpable vulgar
and usually harmless crime against
the ordinary laws of the land. The
man who, by word or deed, creates
disrespect and incites disregard for
the Judgment Of judge, arrived at
conscientiously in the due course Of
the administration of justice, COM
mits, in my Judgment, more serious
and a more dangerous offense,
amounting to crime against the ma
ton at large, because it strikes at the
very foundation of civil government
But to return to my topic.
Think not, my brethren, that the
labors of these years have been oner-
Gus or grivous or irksome.
No, indeed.
On the contrary, they have been
joyous, exhilarating and satisfying,
and they are now laid down solely be-
cause the infirmities of advancing
years admonish me that my day of
work is over and past and am ready
to say 'Let thine aged servant de-
part in peace"
No. / hold that the man who does
not enjoy and love judicial work is
not fit to sit in a judges chair. That
the best judges do enjoy and love
their work is proven by the conduct
of the Federal judges, who continue
work long after the dates when they
are entitled by law to retire on full
pay
/ say the work is agreeable par
ticularly that Of an equity Judge.
For what can be more delightful
than to be able to disentangle the
knots into which business affairs are
sometimes involved by the working
of modern complex business machin-
cry and methods To ascertain segre-
gate and weigh the varying interests
of each party, and give to each it's
due value in the judicial scale, and
strike just balance.
Or to unravel and lay bare fraud
into which crafty designer has lur-
ed an unwary and innocent victim,
and to restore the victim to his
rights.
Or to relieve against accident or
mistake or forfeiture.
Or to hold up to his duty dishon-
est or egligent trustee and compel
him to restore the estate of which he
has despoiled his cestui que trust, or
to make good the losses which have
arisen from his negligence.
Or what more satisfactory than to
be able to put forth the strong arm
of the court and prevent threatened
injury to person or property.
These are the every day work of
an equity Judge; and I am delighted
to be assured that my work therein
has not fallen behind that of my
brethren, and has in some measure
your approval.
But l must not forget that in this
have had the assistance, in all i'm
portant causes, of able, faithful and
industrious counsel, without whose
assistance my work would have been
poor indeed.
| believe that no court or judge in
this or any other country ever listen
ed to more able, exhaustive and in
genius, as we'll as instructive, argu-
ments that have been addressed to
me by some of those I seen among
you. And the credit of whatever ex-
cellence may In after years appear in
my judicial work must be divided
with those great lawyers.
But the satisfying character of ju-
dicial work does not end with its
completion. There is another ele-
ment to be considered.
To go back fifty-eight and more
years, when I undertook the study Of
law, found four small volumes Of
equity reports, Saxon and the three
Greens. covering the work of Chan
cellor Vroom and Chancellor Penn
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