Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-09-27
J. P. HOBSON
EDWARD c. O'REAR
]. H. HAZELRIGG
JOHN r. ALLEN
CHAS. H. RODES
w. B. SMITH
J. A. SULLIVAN
ALEX P. HUMPHREY

u. A. oOAhk v AN
ALEX P. HUMPHREY
September 23, 1919
Judge Hobson's Tribute
After reading the resolutions,
Judge Hobson, who served as a
Judge of the Court of Appeals while
Judge Burnam was its Chief Justice,
gave, in a genuinely sincere, plain
and simple way, free from fulsome
eulogy, very true and correct esti-
mate of Judge Burnam's life, inter-
spersing his remarks now and then
with narratives of personal Incidents
in Judge Burnam's career as a mem
Der of the Court of Appeals, illustra-
tive of his strong personality, his
ability as lawyer and his impair
tiality as a Judge. Among other
things he said that highest tribute
that could be paid to Judge Burnam
as man, lawyer and an impartial
judge was his attitude and conduct
as Judge, of Kentucky's highest
court during the contested election
case between VIM. Goebel and w. S.
Taylor. He said that the question
before the court was whether or not
the Kentucky Court of Appeals had
right to review the action of the
Legislature, the sole power to de-
termine contests in election of gov
ernor. He said that while Judge
Burnam was an intense Republican
and from his standpoint condemned
the legislature in its action in that
celebrated contest case, he was first
lawyer and Judge and had regard
for the constitution as the funda-
mental law of the state, and as an
impartial Judge Joined with the court
in an opinion holding that the Court
of Appeals had no power to review
the acts Of the legislature in that
case. He said that considering the
then inflamed condition of the pub
lie mind and the extreme partisan
feeling raging at the time, Judge
Burnam's conduct was not only a !
monument to his character and in
tellectual integrity, but that it re-
fiected great honor upon the highest
judicial tribunal of the state in those
troublous times, and showed that
the opinion rendered was the opinion
of the court. In other words that it
elevated the court to a plane high
above the partisan feelings Of the
times.
Hon. w. B. Smith of the Richmond
Bar, discussed Judge Burnam's life
in very appropriate manner, and
his speech was the result of years of
and contact with Judge
Burnam. He spoke of his preeminent
success as lawyer, business man
and public servant. He made parti-
,ular mention Of his distinguished
ancestry and his splendid family and
lis happy family, making special ref
'rence to the fact that while Judge
3urnam had led an active life of in
lustry, always actively engaging in
worthy contest and struggle for what
le thought was just and right, he {
vas a man who throughout a long
ife had never been subjected to '
everses or misfortune, and that so
ar as his most intimate friends ever |
new he had been continuously fav- ,
red by fortune from the very be-
inning to the end Of his honorable I
nd useful career, and that no great p,
orrow had ever come into his life.
From long intimate acquaintance a
udge O'Rear gave a beautiful and E
xceedingly accurate portrayal of i
udge Burnam as he knew him in
rivate life and on the Bench He d
eferred to Judge Burnam's distin- a
rished father, Major c. F. Burnam,
nd to the splendid atmosphere of b
ospitality, culture and refinement t
nat prevailed in the homes of Judge S
urnam and Of Major G. F. Burnam,
Is father. He said that it was no
election upon the Richmond Bar
Or him to state that for a period Of
lore than half century that q