Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-18
JUDSON Ia INQUIRE

Mu
When, at some time in the future, an adequate his
tory of North Dakota is written, there will stand forth IN
1t as one OF the important factors in the growth of the
young state the stalwart figure Of Judson LaMoure,
whose death in Florida occurred on Saturday, for. in a
more striking manner than most. men even of the group
of pioneers to which he belonged, Mr.. LaMoure was in
huential in shaping the affairs Of the commonwealth.
With the adventurous spirit of youth he came to the
west while the west was a wilderness peopled with saw
ages, and whatever OF development there has been since
he came to what is now the state of North Dakota has
been brought about since his arrival, and in a very large
part of that work he was a direct participant.
Mr.. LaMoure was best known to the public through
his political activities. Starting with legislative exp.r-
fence in the old territorial council, he was elected a men,
Der OF the North Dakota senate Immediately on the ad-
mission of the state to the union, and term after term
he was reelected until. at the close Of the session of
1913, with the infrmities of years bearing upon him. he
announced definitely that he would not again be a can
didate for the position that he had filled so long. The
farewell given to him at that time by his associates,
many of whom had worked with him for years, was one
of the most impressive tributes ever paid to a public man
in this state. There were present men who had opposed,
and who had been opposed by Mr.. LaMoure on almost
every conceivable question of public policy, and in whose
intercourse with him not a little bitterness had been de-
veloped. But in the hour Of parting all bitterness was
forgotten, and those who had been known as his polit-
ical friends and those who had been considered his po-
htical enemies came forward, and, with strong hand
clasp, and in not a few cases with misty eyes, said good
bye to the man whose worth, in spite of all the differ
ences that had arisen between them, they had learned to
prize.
Mr.. LaMoure was a man of strongly marked char
acteristics. Reserved, sarcastic, sometimes grun IN
manner, he was not an easy man for strangers to APP
proach, and because of this there grew up around him
n number of tradition~ srch &c ,o e,,r, "a ~-,., ,,.,.a
men who are not well understood. But in this man
found a most companionable human being, and
those who have known him we'll are convinced that
much of his frequent severity of manner was assumed
for the purpose of concealing from public view traits of
tenderness which he preferred should not be recognised
by others.
Throughout his entire active life in this state he was
thrown constantly into contact. with men who were un-
fortunate, and who needed help. If those who formed
their opinions Of him only from the manner which he
often assumed in public were to ask of some hundreds
of the early settlers in Pembina county what manner Of
man he was, they would learn Of acts of generosity which
gave many a poor man a chance for a new start in life,
lily through a hard winter. These things are now written
in the books, and Mr.. LaMoure would never discuss
them. He was often charged with undue secretiveness in
his political methods. 1t is certain that he was secretive
in his methods Of doing acts of kindness to his needy
%neighbors.
A man Of positive character, and Of strong likes and
dislikes, it was inevitable that in his long public career
he should be subjected to fierce and frequent criticism,
but he brought to the service of the state sound judy
ment and a practical knowledge of affairs, and while,
according to the opinions which are perhaps usually en-
tertained today, his tendencies were too strongly in the
direction Of conservatism, his wise counsel aided in guild
ing the state along the path Of safety.