Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-08-26

Addresses delivered at a special
meeting Of the Bar Association OF
North Dakota, held in honor Of the
late David L. Morgan, formerly Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court If this
state in the hall OF the House OF Rep.
! resentatives at Bismarck on June !,
1912. The president Mr.. and Mrs.
| John r.. Greene OF Minot addressed
the association as follows:
President John e. Greene.
Gentlemen OF the Bar Association:
We are assembled as an associa'
+, ton OF lawyers. as representatives OF
the legal profession OF this state, for
the purpose OF paying appropriate
and due tribute Of respect TO the
memory of a great and good man, a
great and good lawyer; one who long
filled with honor to himself and to
this state, the highest judicial office
within the gift of the people of the
state. Such was Judge Morgan. He
has answered the summons OF that
great court, whose DEGREES alone are
wholly just; and We come here to
celebrate, with honor and solemnity,
the rich heritage of eXemplitied viz
tues and good works which he has
left to us.
II is one OF their redeeming quail.
ties that "men are commonly so just
TO virute and goodness as 10 praise
1t in others even when they do not
practice it themselves But We want
to be more than merely just to vir.
tue and goodness on this occasion.
BY making here a public memorial
We would crystalline. as it were, in
the minds Of all our people, a fair
concept of the virtues and good
works of our friend. We want to
draw the attention of our fellow citi.
zens, and especially of the members
of our profession, to a life and its
labors, the history of which should
stimulate them all to a greater devo.
ton to those things which tend to
promote good government, good NOR.
ais and good will amongst men. If
it be true that there is a self.prop-
agating power in good, the life just
closed should yield a rich harvest Of
civic righteousness in this common
wealth.
Time will not permit me. nor can |
command the words to fully express
my personal appreciation of the
character and exemplary life OF
Judge Morgan. But there is a thought
and expression of which will receive
the Endorsement Of every man who
knew him. In his intercourse with
men, whether in private, professional
or official life, there was felt an al
most mystic quality which inspired
admiration, confidence and respect,
and the word that best defines it is
rectitude In its widest sense; that
most comprehensive word, denoting
not merely honesty and a sense OF
justice, but an absolute, unfalling con-
1ormity to the rule of right, in prin-
ciple and In practice. So endowed
he was indeed a great and good man,
a great and good lawyer, and so he
lived and labored to the end, in the
highest and truest sense the friend
Of justice and of his fellow men.
Hon. S. e. Ellsworth.
Hon. S. E. Ellsworth, former su.
preme court judge, then addressed the
Association as follows:
standing, as we believe, on the
threshold of a great crisis in our
history, and facing as we do a swiftly
unfolding panaroma of events unpar.
alleled and wonderful, when interest
in nl1hIjn u cfnir, hnC rcnnhnl u h,r,,
ing intensity and the myriad eyes OF
the nation are focused in piercing
scrutiny upon the work of those IN
whom is laid the honor and responsL
Utility Of public Office, it is peculiarly
fittng and refreshing that the Bar
OF this state should turn aside for a
short space from the strenuous and
exacting duties Of professional serv.
ice to pay tribute to a life work which
stands as an exponent of all that is
excellent in the discharge Of public
duty, even under the eXacting require
ments OF the present time, and Of
much that is usually considered ideal.
My first acquaintance with Judge
Morgan vas almost 10 years ago
when he first entered upon his duties
as one Of the justices of the Supreme
Court of North Dakota. He already
had considerable reputation as a dis.
trict judge. The circumstances I'M
der which he came upon the Supreme
t'ench were such as to bring his oflc.
ial acts Immediately under the close
scrutiny of the bar Of the state and
to challenge comparison with the
work Of a predecessor of very much
more than ordinary capability. | be-
llgve 1t is generally conceded that
i'll scholarly attainment. purity Of
character and elevation of mind,
Joseph NJ. Bartholomew stands in the
front rank of the jurists who have
graced the Supreme Bench of North
Dakota. He retired from the Supreme
Bench in the ripeness Of judicial &C.
quirement and the fullness of a fame
not limited to the boundaries Of .our
own states, but which was sounded
throughour the Northwest, Judge
Morgan was his immediate successor.
His work from the beginning OF his
career upon the Supreme Bench in
order to escape criticism must fairly
compare. with that OF Judge Barthol-
onew. His official acts must conform
to az high a standard as has ever been
fixed in the early life OF any state. He
stood in the fierce light that beat UP