Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-03-02


tons and requests to publish Judge
Levi H. Bancroft's eulogy Of Judge
Clementson delivered at the me-
mortal held in the court house at the
opening Of the present term OF cir
cult court the Herald has procured
and is publishing a copy of the same.
The eulogy, read from the bench to
which Judge Bancroft was appointed
10 fill the unexpired term OF his friend.
mentor and predecessor, is pronounc-
ed by members of the bar and others
who attended the services to be
gem of literary endeavor well worthy
Of preservation as a part OF Grant
County history. 1t follows:
Gentlemen of the bar
George Clementson was elected Cir
cult Judge of the Fifth Judicial Cir
cult OF Wisconsin at the Spring Elec-
tion of 1882, and for a period OF
thirty-eight years he presided in this
court.
It was his privilege, during the
entire period of his exceptionally long
and unchallenged career upon the
bench, to enjoy to the utmost the re-
spect and confidence Of the people OF
this Judicial Circuit. In all respects,
as a man, citizen and Judge, he
Justly merited the respect, the con-
fidence, and the honor, which was his.
1t was his good fortune to be called
upon to preside in this Circuit, which
includes within the territory OF its
five Counties, the fairest portion OF our
great and prosperous State. CIR
cult embracing the manifold beauties
of hills and valleys and running
streams, and the lavish prodigality OF
nature, combining the rich treasures
of it's mineral wealth, with the I'M
usual fertility Of it's soil.
Southwestern Wisconsin early at
tracted the intellect and enterprise OF
the American pioneer The treasures
OF mine and field offered rich reward
to industry and enterprise, and
brought to this section the best and
strongest blood of the frontier, and to
this day it is peOpled by a population
distinguished far above the average
for character and intellect, for indus
try and enterprise for patriotism and
devotion to the ideals of American life.
Judge CIementson's predecessor on
the bench, was a man OF great intel
lect and force of character, one OF
the type of men peculiar to the early
days of the Republic, when the human
intellect, expanding in the atmos-
phere of freedom, produced a race OF
men whose physical and mental at
tainment was then, and will ever re-
main, q type peculiar to the frontier
of America, a race of vigorous, red
blOOded giants which no other country
ever paralelled; and it was this type
of men who, in unusual number made
up the population of Wisconsin in the
territorial days. To such men the
conditions of refined society offered
little restraint. 1t is said of Judge
Cothren that the labOrs of the bench
were frequently relieved by convivial
intermisSions, the business OF the
Court being adjourned in order that
the Judge and the Attorneys might
refresh themselves at some neigh
boring bar.
| do not refer to these conditions
i'll any spirit of criticism. | knew
Judge Cothren, when boy | attend
ed the public schools, when he was a
familiar and much regarded character
in the community He was a great
lawyer and an exceptional character,
and what l have to say concerning
the convivial habits of the Courts in
those early days, may not be taken as
a reflection upon the bench, but
rather as a reflection from the bench,
of the habits and customs of the time.
1t was the hey-day of American life.
The splendid manhood which had
vanquished secession and slavery upon
the ensanguined fields of the Civil
War, and given the great Republic
new birth of freedom, was in full con-
troll of the politics and policies of the
United States. 1t was the period of
the Republicans adolescent youth, and
its high and eXuberant spirit was as
natural and sanguine, as is the spirit
of youth in all ages and under all
conditions.
1t was at such period and under
such conditions that Judge Clementson
was called to the bench, to assume and
administer the duties of the most re-
sponsible and important position in
this Judicial Circuit, and one of the
most important and honorable in the
State.
Unlike his predecessor, Judge Glenn
entson was a man of the strictest
temperance. He was not blatant
reformer, He preached the virtues
of temperance in habits and speech,
not by word, but by example. He was
the truest eXemplification l have ever
known of that Scriptural truth
enunciated by the Master in the SER
mon on the Mount.
Men do not gather grapes from
thorns, nor figs from thistles.
A good tree cannot bring forth
evil fruit, neither can a corrupt
tree bring forth good fruit. BY
their works we shall know them"
Today as we look back over the half
century of our history, since Judge
Clementson became a commanding in
fiuence and power in our lives; when
we consider what strides society has
made, when we observe temperance
and sobriety, exalted by the Consti.
tuition and the laws of this nation
whose greatest source of revenue a
quarter of a century ago, was derived
from governmental pandering to the
distillery and the saloon; when we
contrast the peaceful security and
contentment of our lives in this COM