Semi-weekly herald., 1916-07-31
PATTERSON's WORTHY
OPPON EN- I

nen9e.;,t, press of the state that
oDpose,' III as le4;,c :; the pat,y.
A. hep, ii cans liz red with Pat
tea IN y, hey BIZ. s.va. recog-
nized him powerful and worthy op-
ponent. They seldom opposed him
as a person, but simply opposed him
as the leader of principles of govern
ment in which they did not believe.
Senator Patterson's personal en-
emies were in his own party. At
times the Patterson faction was on
the top of the game and then again
the reactionaly or gang forces would
get control of the party and he had
to step down and out for two years.
AT the end of the two years the Sen
ator would come back and take the
leadership away from the Speer gang
.sters over the state.
The Republicans DO not recognize
Patterson as the biggest man of his
time in the state, but they rec,yai2ed
him as the biggest and most nenio-
cratic Democrat in the state. He was
a real Wemocrat and never was con-
sidered by the Republicans ~ f:lker
He was the father of real Gemo.Ia acy
in the state and the ups and Gowns
Of his iife were many in his party,
but he was always against the gang
Democrats.
The Rocky Mountain New;, Al Re
publican paper, writes the following
able editorial in his behalf:
In the cosmic scheme Of things
there are positive and negative cur
rents and the one kind it not of ser
vice to the world without the other.
In Colorado's upbuilding, from the
hour in which it was denominated a
state to a few years ago, Thomas Nj.
Patterson was the negative force that
challenged and received attention. He
was valiant fighter. Defeat was
not in his lexicon. Almost always, in
long career before the public, he
was with the minority, and, if he was
not at all times right, as minorities
are supposed to be, there is no ques-
ton but that he believed himself to
be right and the others sadly in the
wrong.
For half century Mr.. Patterson
could be found where the fighting
was the thickest and invariably with
the under dog" He was SO constitut-
ed. He was not quite himself when
the odds were with him. In an uphill
battle-in a state convention, before
a court jury, before a large audience
he was supreme, because nature
clothed him for that role
Time is great moderator; death
the rectifier. If Mr.. Patterson had
died with his armor on it would have
been impossible to do full justice to
his public service for long after; but
his work was finished several years
ago. In his recent appearances he
was but the shadow of his former
self.
1t was essential for the future of
this common wealth to have such a
man in it's midst as Mr.. Patterson.
and injustice. When he first took
part in public affairs the morals of
state as well as territory were nebu-
lous. Ambitious and reckless citizens
came this way, attracted by the gold
camps and opportunities for making
money. AS state and city advanced
in population and wealth, there was
the greater temptation for the few
to take advantage of the many. Cor
porations were ready to exploit the
state and take the cream off in too
great haste. The political parties of
those days rose no higher than their
Iioh nffira hn,,.rht
sold in the open.
Mr.. Patterson by temperament and
Inheritance was opposed to lax moral
ity and to aggression from the few as
against the many. He was never a
partisan. He fought his own party
as hard as he fought the opposition
party; and there came a day when
he was able, singly, to overthrow one
or both. In all those struggles, which
are part of the states history, Mr..
Patterson took the public side and
opposed graft wherever it showed its
head. But Mr.. Patterson was ambi-
tious and self-centered and, his en-
emies said, exceedingly selfish in his
political aims. True, but thru it all
he never sought compromise or truce
with the forces of evi. If he lost, he
went down with his flag flying; il
he won, he won something for him
self but not little for public moral
ity.
| Mr.. Patterson was very success
full jury lawyer. In his success in
this field is to be found the key to
his strength and his weakness in
other fields. The best years of
his life We're given to the practice
of law. By common consent he was
the ablest trial lawyer in all the
Rocky Mountain region. In criminal
cases and in the intricacies of mining
law and expert testimony, he was
equally at home. 1t became a second
nature for him to deal with the twelve
men as a composite body, to be sway,
| ed and nlayed unon h,, a s,,oar;o~