The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1912-08-09
M'ELREATH ON THE
CONSTITUTION.
Twill D. Upshaw in The Golden Age, I

CONSTITUTION
Twill D. Upshaw in The Golden Age.
The Golden Age takes peculiar
pleasure in the great service which
has been rendered to his profession
and his state by Hon, Walter Nc
Elreath in the publication of his
scholarly work on the "Constitu-
tional Law and History of Georgia. 3"
We are glad not only that the state
is to have the benefit of a work
which is receiving such high praise,
but that his great work should have
come from the brain of one whom
the editor has known as a friend
from his boyhood.
To those who have not known
him as intimately as the writer. the
leap to prominence which this bril-
liant young Georgian has made in
recent years, has been a surprise.
A distinguished statesman said re-
Gently: No man of my recollec-
ton, has so soon after his entry into
public life, risen to such a degree of
real prominence and influence as
Walter McElreath.
This is no surprise to the editor
of The Golden Age. When he and
| were country boys, living on
neighboring farms, my father, who
was teacher of long experience,
said of him: Watch that boy; he
will be Chief Justice of Georgia
some day" And l have watched
him.
He went from the farm and from
the country school to one of the
oldest and most famous universities
of the South-Washington and Lee
University-and took high rank
among the brightest minds at that
institution, carrying off some of the
highest honors; particularly he made
the highest mark ever made in the
department Of historical studies, be-
ing awarded scholarship for his
uneXampled record.
Entering upon the profession of
the law in great city, without
money, acquaintance or influence,
he soon took high rank, and is now
recognized as one of the ablest law
yers of the state. Entering the
legislature in 1909 as a member of
the House of Representatives from
Atlanta, in the leading county of
Fulton, he Immediately showed
capacity for his great responsibility
and became one of the leaders in
the house. Reelected in 1910 by
the largest vote ever received by a
candidate in Fulton county, when
there was opposition, he was ap-
pointed chairman of the important
committee on appropriations, and
astonished the oldest members of
the House with his knowledge of the
states finances, although some pro-
visions of the appropriation bill
were fought by some of the most
skilful members, he had the distinc-
ton of having it adopted as he
wrote it without a single change.
Recently man in a position to
be familiar with the legislative his
tory of the state for many years,
said: No other man who has rep
resented Fulton county in recent
years has made such a record as
Walter McElreath. His career has
been marked by the utmost dill
gence and the highest capability,
but the distinctive thing about it
has been it's perfect sincerity.
There has not been the slightest
suspicion of buster or buncombe."
The writer does not know what
prompted the author of the work
under review, to undertake so great
a book, but ventures the opinion
that when he undertook to make
laws he was unwilling to legislate
without the most fundamental
knowledge of the public policy of
the state and, with characteristic
thoroughness, he set about its study.
In performing his task be builded a
monument to himself and rendered
his state great service.
To be right confidential and per-
sonal | felt positive stirring in the
region of the heart when my eyes
fell for the first time on that hand
some new volume, "McElreath on
the Constitution. 1t looks like a
cross between Blackstone and
Bleckley. Its Preface reads like the
voice indeed of a jurist and states
man, while the scholarly tone in
that masterful introduction is pro-
life of speaking memories-for
Walter McElreath as a youth, nine
teen years ago, wrote An Open
Window Into the Authors Life and
Work" introducing the public IN
terms of generous grace to my own