The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-03-29
GEORGE w. MccRARY.


The Des Moines Register and Lead.
er OF Sunday had sketch of the
career and an appreciation of the
character of the late George w. Nc
Crary of this city from the pen of
Gen. j. B. Weaver The subject of
the sketch was born at Evansville.
Ind, August 20, 1885, but his father
removed to Van Buren, county. Iowa,
IN 1886, when 1t was part of the Wis
consin territory. He was of Scotch
Irish descent, his ancestors having
emigrated from Scotland to PennsyI-
vania early in the eighteenth century
The next generation migrated to
North Carolina and settled at Iredell
county. where James McCrary. father
OF George W., was born. In 1912 the
father removed to Tennessee, later to
Indiana, and finally, the year of the
birth Of this son. the family moved to
illinois, and the next year crossed the
Mississippi, and settled in Van Buren,
county. Here, under the providence
OF God. young McCrary was to find
his theater of useful activity, and Gen.
eral Weaver declares that che meas
ured up to it grandly." Early in youth
Mr.. McCrary resolved to enter the
legal profession General Weaver
was first attracted to him in the fall
and winter Of 1884. McCrary was
teaching school at Bonaparte and
Weaver was clerking in the store of
Edwin Manning at the same place.
The Kansas-Nebraska bill. champion
ed by Stephen A. Douglas, was pend
ing In congress, and the country was
seriously agitated over the measure.
McCrary was a free soil Wing. and
Weaver Democrat. Both had con-
victions, and both were decidedly COM
bative and full Of fire. Accordingly,
the friends arranged joint debate
between them on this measure, to take
place at Bonaparte. General Weaver
gives this account of the affair:
I'VE met; the writer opened the de-
bate, strongly deprecating the agita-
ton of the slavery question, predict
ing war and the dissolution of the
union if the abolishionists persisted in
their present attitude toward that
/ ire tuition. McCrary In reply, showed
the south to be the aggressors, and
pointed to the pending legislation in
j conclusive proof of it. Then clinching
! his fist, he declared in a masterfui
voice, If slavery has to be preserved
in order to save the union, say let
the union break into as man pieces
as there are states and territories.'
This produced a decided sensation
which | was not slow to take advant-
age of. In my hot blood | impugned
his patriotism and belabored him un-
mercifully. The crowd was largely
with me In sympathy. But we both
went our way, and applied ourselves
to the study of the law"
McCrary settled in Keokuk and the
writer in the meantime graduated at
the law school of the Cincinnati col
lege. General Weaver frankly con-
fesses that in due time his own side
studies in the literature of the period
convinced him that he was wrong and
McCrary in the right, and he at once
severed connections with the Demo
cratic party and in short time there
after helped to elect Mr.. McCrar- TO
the legislature as floating representa-
tive from Van Buren,. Henry and Lee
co9aties. The article concludes with
the following outline of Mr. McCrary's
career:
! He was next elected to the state
senate and from that time forward his
promotions We're rapid and most hon
orable He was elected to the Forty
first, Forty-second, Forty-third and
Forty-fourth congresses
In 1878 he was appointed secretary
of war in the cabinet of President
Hayes, and in 1879 was elevated to
the position of United States circuit
Judge OF the Eighth Judicial circuit,
vice John F. Dillon resigned.
/ In every position held by Judge
AcCrary he always discharged the
duties OF his office with courage, f.
deity and distinguished ability. He
published treatise on the law OF
elections which is standard authority
today He published also Reports Of
the Circuit Courts of the United
States, Eighth District 1888. !"
Judge McCrary resigned from the
federal bench and entered the prac-
tice of the law at Kansas City and
di | 1890.
He took high rank as member of
congress and by his exalted ability,
! probity of character and rugged
4 honesty he dignifed the court over
] which he presided and impressed the
people with the sanctity of our judi
ciary. Judge McCrary's personality
was strong yet genial, reserved but
always approacbable and courteous