The San Francisco call., 1910-12-28

fine looking young man, with a high
brow, clear eye and the distinguished
bearing which has been his during his
life. He then had that mark of in
dividuality and distinction. and showed
that he knew where he was going. He
impressed everybody with his per-
manency. He was not surrounded by
own way.
BURNED MIDNIGHT OIL
His time was passed in toll by day
and under the lamp by night. He had
the courteous, uniformly manly bear
ing.
From that time forward he has pur-
sued his studies with the utmost dill
gence. Judge Thomas n whose office
in Santa Rosa Cooper read the law, sal
of him to me, Get We'll acquainted with
Cooper. keep your eye on Cooper He
will make his mark. He is the best
student that ever was in my office
practice law | advised him to go to
San Francisco, where there were more
people to work among But he said
he wanted to go where there was the
most ready opening. He went to
Ukiah and got into murder case. The
evidence was overwhelming and his
client was speedily convicted. But he
found an error in the record and had
the conviction set aside. From that
time onward he was always on one
side or the other of every big case in
Mendocino county. He was unques-
tionabIy the leader of the Mendocino
county bar
You know the decisions he has writ
ten. AS might be expected from a
manly young man of his type, his Ia
comic use of English. clear. terse, Wig
orous. without an unnecessary word
He began by honoring the profess
sion the moment he entered lawyers
Office TO read law. He mastered his
profession and he decided to make 1t
a profession, not business or call
IN 10 ha nf
law and hQnored and adorned the bench
of California AS much as we admire
him for his decisions and his learn
ing. we love him because of his filian
devotion and loyalty. On behalf of his
friends say. Hall Judge Cooper with
one voice. with one accord. Santa Rosa
offered honor to whom honor is due.
Benjamin F. WooIner of Oakland
made a humorous speech.
COOPER GIVEN OVATION
Judge Cooper received an ovation
when he took the floor to address his
friends He said in part:
1t is with a deep feeling Of my own
failure to have reached that high
standard which had set for myself at
the commencement of my judicial la
good will and charity to me that ten
der TO you my sincere, heartfelt thanks
for this manifestation of your regard
1 thank each and every one of you
for the very high compliment you
have paid me by your interest and
presence on this occasion. the eve of
the expiration of my term of Office.
was appointed commissioner of the
supreme court In May, 1899 and hence
at the close of my term ] will have de-
voted nearly years to judicial labors.
When the district courts of appeal
were created / was appointed by the
district At the election in 1905 l was
elected presiding Justice, which posi-
tion I have held ever since. During
the time thus devoted to judicial la
opinions, and into each and all have j
put the most earnest, conscientious eff
fort to judge according to the law.
RELATIONS PLEASANT
During my term of Office my rela-,
tions with you have been the most
try, zeal and professional pride that
has made wou of great assistance to
the court in solving the. many prob
lens which have come before u.s. I
desire also in this banquet room, and
on the eve of my bidding farewell to
my associates. to express to them my
appreciation of their industry and con-
-stant endeavor to decide every ques
tion according to the law
1t is a singular fact that but two
races in the history of the world have
shown what may be called genius for
the law. The systems of jurisprudence
which owe their development to these
man-now occupy the whole civilized
world. There was no English law and
no English lawyer before the Norman
conquest. The genius of the Norman
lawyers and the rulings of the best
minds versed in legal learning and
nodded by the experience of time pro-
cured a system of precedents which
was of slow growth and continued to
grow until 1t became we'll rooted and
known as the common law. This law
was brought by our ancestors to the
shores of America and is the true foun-
dation of all our law. 1t may have
been changed and modified by statutes,
and is in many instances but still it is
the foundation and corner stone of all
our law.
LAWYERS CONSERVATIVE
/ desire here to call attention to the
great fact that lawyers have always
been the conservative force of all gov
ernments in times of public excitement
and unrest. There is a present a con-
dition brought about by public agita-
tion and by the so called public jour
nails in which, ] regret to say, many
lawyers with good intentions are lend
ing their influence and countenance-
They proceed on the basis of speaking
of the present time as being one of
peculiar evils, where justice is delayed
and criminals are escaping by hundreds
T1fFErS f<T7nUrr, ny a rro - v,avS