The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-05-05
FRIDAY, MAY s, 1911.
cowAN's OPPORTUNITY.

the loyalty of his friends has not beer
in vain-that their confidence in hi'
integrity and manhood has not beer
misplaced.
The Forum confidently believes hi
will rise to the occasion.
Judge Cowan has undergone an I'M
usual experience. impeachment trials
are infrequent.
Aside from the fact that 1t was gen.
orally admitted the accused was man
of conviyial habits--the fair minded
people of North Dakota have taken
little stock in the sensational charges
brought against Judge Cowan.
That he, at times. was accustomed to
drink intoxicants. rarely to excess, is a
matter Of common knowledge among
people of affairs in North Dakota. The
Judge has been in public life for a
quarter Of a century. He has always
been out in the open-never hypo-
critic. II he wanted drink he took it
as a matter Of course and never sneak
ed into the privacy of his bedroom
behind closed doors. He never posed
as sanctimonious fraud. He had red
corpuscles In his blood.
Judge Cowan never defrauded a sin
gle individual of one penny. His hon
esty and integrity are unquestioned
even among his bitterest opponents.
The bril1iancy Of his mind is con-
ceded-though he has never been of
disposition to hurry matters His lack
of mental aggressiveness-his good ma
ture-his failure to make attorneys
stand up to the rack-resulted in the
charges of delayed cases, which-aside
from the unsubstantiated charges of
drunkenness-were most bitterly pros
ecuted during the impeachment.
The impeachment proceedings
against the Judge originated from po-
litical reasons and bitter personal en-
mites
Men whose political ambitions he had
thwarted-others whose pet schemes
he had frustrated, both in politics and
business-stilI others whose criminal
aspirations had been suppressed by the
court-conspired to heap disgrace and
Ddium onto Judge Cowan.
He has emerged from his trying and
unusual experiences with flying colors.
Members Of the senate who sat through
the long and tedious hearing-the vol
luminous testimony-the extended ar
guments-these have said Judge Cowan
is not guilty. They stated so In no
uncertain terms.
The rules OF impeachment courts re-
uuired a two-thirds vote to convict In
not instance was there majority vote
antagonistic to the accused. There
was a tie on one Of the drugstore spec
ifications.
Judge Cowan had lifelong reputa-
ton Of standing by his friends. They
have demonstrated that they appre-
ciate and reciprocate that attitude.
From all over the state men came to
the front with encouraging words and
offers of moral and material support.
Their friendliness to the Judge in his
darkest hours must be recalled by him
with the deepest appreciation and graf
itude. Their loyalty will be one of his
most cherished memories.
There was a wild demonstration
when the final ballot was taken. Pan
demonium reigned. Men shouted. |
Women screamed. Big hearted husky
men wept with JOY. Everybody rushed
madly to congratulate the man whom
they believed to have been the most |
bitterly maligned in the history of the |
state. II was scene never rivalled
In North Dakota--one that will never
be forgotten, either by the man most |
interested or the other participants and |
witnesses.
It was Judge Cowan's supreme hour
The Forum believes the future holds
Its brightest promise for Judge Cowan.
It believes the experiences he has un-
dergone during the last few months
however bitter they have been-how-
ever unfair-wlll have a beneficial ef-
feet and will make him an ADLER and a
nobIer man.
His friends expect John cowan-in |
his hour of triumph and victory--to
rise above all petty feeling--to demon
strate that he has the manhood and
the courage they felt confident he pos
sessed.
The Forum believes he win return 20
Devils Lake and take up the duties Of
judge Of the second district-with 4
clear sheet-with malice to none--and
administer justice In such manner
that viii win him the endorsement Of
every fair-minded man in the state.
The future for him means a higher
personal and official standing higher
honors wider friendships. His oppo-
nenfs started out to cruelty him. They
demonstrated their spite. their petit
ness, their malevolence. He comes out
Ike gold from the cruciDle refined /
and purified.