THE PRESIDENT: I am sure we have all enjoyed the wonderful and inspiring address just delivered by Colonel Judah. If anyone ever had any doubt about the ability of the American doughboy to fight, it has been dispelled, and we all thank the Colonel for his wonderful address. The election of officers for the ensuing year is being held, the polls are open today for a short time, they will be open tomorrow for a short time. I can guess pretty well the result of that election, there is no opposition ticket. As we look back over the stirring and eventful months just past and the wonderful record made by the lawyers of the Illinois State Bar Association and the members of our noble profession, we may justly feel proud. The president elect is a man foremost in his profession and a gentleman of the highest character. The new officers will carry on with ability and energy befitting the times. Here in this city for many years was the home of your president elect. It must be gratifying to him to be honored in this his old home, so full of memories and associations, and I know it is a pleasure to every one of us, and it is with great pleasure and honor that I now hand the gavel to your president elect, Mr. Frederick A. Brown of Chicago. (Applause.) MR. FREDERICK A. BROWN: Mr. President, still Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: There is only one thing equal to running for office when there is no opposition, and that is trying a default case, where there is no lawyer on the other side to cross-examine your witnesses or raise objections. It is a peculiar pleasure for me to have the Illinois State Bar Association meet at Decatur. Decatur is not only a very beautiful city in itself, but it is the home of men strong and successful in profession and business life that are known throughout the state. It has been the social center because of the beautiful women and educated women that have lived here for scores of years. Decatur also is rich in the history of our nation. It was here that Mr. Lincoln made his first political speech. He was a nineteenyear-old bare-foot boy plowing out here about four blocks west from where we are now meeting, and a democratic orator was holding forth on the north side of what is now known as Lincoln Square. Some man came up and told Mr. Lincoln that there was a democratic orator there and somebody ought to answer him. So Mr. Lincoln came up there and answered the democratic orator the best he could. There is no history of that speech, nobody remembers anything that was said, but there was then undoubtedly born in Lincoln that knowledge of the great capacity that he possessed for public speaking which reached its crowning point at the battle of Gettysburg. It was here too that the republican state convention of 1860 met, about 100 yards right over there in the old Wigwam. Most of you have read of it; but Governor Oglesby, who lived in Decatur, one of its honored citizens, and old Johnny Lamkins, both of whom I knew, had gone out here to Long Creek Township and brought in some rails, and Gov. Oglesby and Johnny Lamkins brought those into the convention and they had on them, "Rails that Abe Lincoln split." And he carried the Convention and got the endorsement for Mr. Lincoln that sent him on to the Presidency. Decatur also has been rich in the political life of the nation; besides Mr. Lincoln coming here, there was Judge Douglas, Mr. Blaine, General John A. Logan. I remember a rather interesting thing, when General Logan came here he was known as the Black Eagle of Illinois. I was a youngster ten or eleven years old, in knee breeches, and right over where we met today, at the Decatur Club, before any building was there, they put up a wooden platform in a little park known as Central Park. I wedged my way into that crowd and got to the platform, raised myself up and sat with my feet hanging off where I could look up into General Logan's face. Pretty soon I heard a commotion at the edge of the crowd and I stood up right at the side of General Logan and I saw four men carrying an old hen coop and in that hen coop was an old black eagle. They pushed their way to the platform and finally deposited the eagle on the platform and one of the men stood up and presented the black eagle in the hen coop to the black eagle of Illinois. While the men were talking I heard General Logan turn to Governor Oglesby and say, "Dick, what in hell will I do with it?" (Laughter.) Decatur is also rich in the patriotic history of the nation. Right here in Decatur was organized the Grand Army of the Republic and Camp No. 1, I guess, Colonel Abbey, is still in existence, is it not? Anyhow, this is where the Grand Army was organized. Decatur gave liberally in the war between the states of her men, as well as she did of her men in the great war just ended. I feel it was a very gracious thing of the board of governors of which I am a member, but at a meeting at which I was not present, to select Decatur as the meeting place. As the president has just told you, I was born in Decatur; my mother and father lie buried here. I married a Decatur girl; all of the sacred and pleasant memories of my life are centered around Decatur and now you have given me what I consider the greatest honor that has ever been given me by making me president of your Association. (Applause.) And when I think of the men who have preceded me, Judge Anthony Thornton, whom many of you know was the first president of the Association, was a Decatur man, and Orville H. Browning and Judge Page and Walter M. Provine and Major Tolman, and all of the thirty or forty men equally distinguished who have preceded me in this office, I feel exceedingly modest, gentlemen. But I take courage when I think that the Illinois State Bar Association does not consist of its officers at all, only in a minor degree, but of the two thousand and more able energetic, forceful, leading men of the state of Illinois. And with your help, gentlemen, I will try and live up to the standard that has been set by the men who have preceded me and the standards which you yourselves demand. I thank you. (Applause.) THE PRESIDENT: I want to say that our very dear friend, Judge Carter, will speak in Senator Spencer's place tomorrow and his topic will be "The People and the Courts," and I want to say, ladies and gentlemen, that you will hear a most interesting address. The meeting will now stand adjourned. |