He is a man of great moral power, and acts conscientiously and firmly from the force of his convictions. He does not keep his finger upon the pulse of public opinion to learn what are its beatings, but fearlessly follows the strict path of duty. His course recently in Union County in pursuit and punishment of pool-sellers and gamblers fully demonstrated that he was determined that offenders against the law should receive their full deserts. With such men as he on the bench, New Jersey will never lose its hold its reputation for strict and impartial justice. The Scudder family has been prominent in New Jersey for several generations. Dur ing the Revolution it furnished many men for the patriot army both as privates and as of ficers. It has always been influential for good, from the character of its individual members, especially in Mercer County, where many of the name are still to be found. In the early history of the colony and during the War of Independence the family was most numerous in Essex, but in after times it found its way to the neighborhood of Trenton, where it gave tone and character to the community. Edward W. Scudder was born from this race at Scudder's Mills, in Mercer County, near Trenton, in 1822. He graduated at Princeton in 1841; then entered the office of William L. Dayton, afterwards Minister from the United States to France. He was admitted to the bar in 1844, and made counsellor in 1848. So soon as he was licensed he opened an office at Trenton, and almost immediately secured a large prac tice and of the very best character. The scrupulous care which he gave to the inter ests of his clients, his great industry, and his integrity secured the entire confidence of a large clientage. His name soon appeared as counsel in the reports of both common law and equity courts, and quite frequently in many important cases. He was not an aspirant for political hon ors, but in 1863 was elected to the State Senate from Mercer County, for a term of
three years, and was President of that body during the last year of his term of service. In 1869 he was appointed an Associate Justice, and still holds the position, having been thrice nominated; the last time in 1890. He assumed the duties of his office in March of the year of his appointment, and rendered his first decision in the Supreme Court at the November term and in the Court of Errors at the June term of the same year. His first opinion was delivered in an important case, in which a large amount of property was at stake, and which involved questions of law relative to specific perform ance of an agreement to convey. It was in the Appellate Court on an appeal from the Chancellor. Judge Scudder met the compli cations of the case, and unravelled the antag onisms of the evidence with great ability, and fully showed himself competent to meet the requirements of his high office. Since that time he has been a prominent member of both tribunals. Judge Scudder has been an addition to the strength and dignity of the bench. He rep resents there the moral force which always attends the presence of a good man, of a conscientious, upright citizen, and of a God fearing, intelligent Christian. He is not a man of impulses, nor of moods; his temper ament is equable, he is peculiarly free from prejudice, and always impartial. The im pelling force of his character as judge is his strong, keen sense of the right; he never dis regards precedents nor sets aside principles, nor does he overthrow well-settled decisions. His great desire, his controlling impulse, is to learn the right. To do entire justice be tween man and man, to so interpret the law and apply it that wrong shall be remedied and equity prevail is the main spring of his action. He has impressed himself upon the communities when he has presided at the circuits as a painstaking, conscientious, and industrious officer; diligent in the protection of the interests of the citizen, strict in the administration of justice, swift in the punishment of criminals, but ever tem
