Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-10-15

J though it be. to the memory of the able
lawyer and patriotic public servant.
Political economists tell us that he who
attains to large measure OF success il
\ life must have bad exceptional oppor-
( tunity or been endowed with exceptional
ability. To have begun career as prae-
7 ticing attorney in smsll, country town,
without money and without influential
friends, could not, by any stretch OF the
imagination, be considered an exceptional
( opportunity, hence we are logically forced
to the conclusion that the great success of
Eugene Hale was due entirely to his ex-
ceptional ability.
Ability, as the term Is here used, does
not mean merely capacity, brilliancy,
breadth of vision, in a word, what we or
dinarily term brains. Ii means all that
and more. 1t means brains plus ambition,
capacity for work, strength OF character,
honesty, integrity, fearlessuess, belief Ia
self, virility, physical strength and
stamina. All these, yea, and more, were
the attributes of Eugene Hale.
As boy and young man be so applied
himself to the attainment of useful
knowledge that when he was called to
toe bar he very soon became recognized
as wise and safe counselor and skilled
and resourceful advocate, and the older
practitioners found in him one wort by Of
their steel. His fidelity to his clients in-
terests was marked and his endesvors in
their behalf unceasing.
That he did not, as is too often the case,
cease to be a student ON entering upon
the active practice of the law is shown by
the fact that he made it a rule of his life,
and one which he scrupulously observed
during his active practice, to read the
Revised Statutes, in its entirety, at least
once each year.
As public prosecutor for the county,
his success was marked. Law abiding
citizens respected him for his ability
and honored him for his integrity and
those who had committed infractions OF
the law feared him for these same attri-
butes; each class knowing that he would
enforce the laws without fear or favor, yet
withal temper justice with mercy.
However, il is not as a lawyer, great as
was his ability and success as such, that
Eugene Hale will be known to posterity.
His service to his country as a legislator
and statesman far transcends any service
that it is possible for an attorney to render
to his clients. For a generation he was a
recognized leader of the national Senate,
and probably no man in our time has had
so large share in shaping the policies of
the country. To recount his service as a
legislator would be practically to give a
history OF constructive national legislation
for period OF thirty years.
To truly measure public service time
must elapse to ailay partisan feelings and
prejudlces, ana to the historian must be
left the duty of giving to Eugene Hale
his proper place among the galaxy of
great statesmen which our country has
produced, and, when the historians YER
dict has been recorded, who can doubt
that his place among those tmmortals will
be secure, his memory revered, and that
his fame as patriotic public servant and
wise and constructive statesman shall not
lose its lustre, but shine more brightly
from generation to generation?
REMARKS BY COL. HAMLIN.
There's nothing certain in a mans life
but this; That he must lose IT,
Born June 9, 1896, at Turner, Maine, and
OF good New England stock our distin-
guished brother, Hon. Eugene Hale, of
this bar, passed away October "a, 1918, at
the age of eightytwo years. Thus passed
long life with notable career.
But few persons now living know him
as an active practitioner at our bar. He
entered into his chosen profession as
lawyer before many OF us were born. For
about nine years he WAS a most successful
prosecuting attorney at this bar and his
reputation has been handed down as a
sound counsellor and brilliant advocate
who would surely have been one OF the
leading lawyers in the State had he con-
tinued but briefly in his then chosen pro-
fesslon. l have heard il said, that his
mastery OF the facts and the law in the
examination, with every question cut clear
Tor its object, and no time wasted, made it
treat to hear any trial in which be took
part.
But he was chosen TO another ohere in
work, and fame followed him in his greater
field in public life.
Mention has been made by others in
part of his services for his State and
country, but time forbids any extended
enumeration Of them here. He served
years in our State legislature, also
years in the National House of Representa-
tiyes, and rounded out his remarka bic ca
reer with thirty years of service in the
United States Senate, serving upon its
most important committees, and refusing,
on at least TWO occasions, the offer of a
prominent position IN the cabinet of two
different Presidents of the United States.
His name will ever stand out bright in the
list of men never to be forgotten on our
state roll, OF Morrill,, Blaine, Frye, Reed,
and others.
He gave the best in him to pu bile service
and grew to be among the leading public
men not only OF our State but of the ma
ton. To my knowledge he was often called
into consultation by the President of the
United States in many matters of the
greatest national importance, and il 10 well
known that generally speaking no United
States Senator or Representative in Con-
gress at Washington had greater influence.
The word was "Eiale is the man" il you
wanted any help at Washington.
In public matters he was thorough
Investigator, profound thinker, of
sound judgment, forming strong con-
ylctions based upon solid foundations and
independent and fearless in his actions.
His integrity in all his years OF public
life Of practically half century has
never been questioned even by his most
ardent political enemies. His posi- ions
were never uncertain or evasive, his
declarations were open, frank and force
full, and both friend and foe knew always
where to find him.
While | had an earlier acquaintance
with him, our intimate acquaintance
began in the fall OF 1882, when first came
to Ellsworth. In January, 1888, entered
into the practice OF law at Ellsworth,
and have ever since been one OF the
partners in the law firm OF which Mr..
Hale continued to be the senior member
in name until he was taken from us.
Our relations were always close, cordial,
and pleasant, with nothing to mar them,
and while he had dritted out Of the