The Late Judge John Kelvey Richards and social ostracism, but of assassina tion, well said:— I wish popularity, but it is that popularity which follows, not that which is run after. It is that popularity which sooner or later never fails to do justice to the pursuit of noble ends by noble means. I will not do that which my conscience tells me is wrong upon this occasion to gain the huzzas of thousands or the daily praise of all the papers
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which come from the press. I will not avoid doing what I think is right though it should draw upon me the whole artillery of libels, all that falsehood and malice can invent or the credulity of a deluded populace can swallow. Such should be the spirit of every lawyer, especially in these days, when trial by newspaper has greatly impaired trial by the courts of law.
New York, N. Y.
The Late Judge John Kelvey Richards JUDGE John Kelvey Richards of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, sixth circuit, died of Bright's disease at his home in Cincinnati, O., on Mar. 1. He had been ill for several months. Justice Richards, who throughout his pub lic career distinguished himself for his keen insight into the intricacies of his profession, was descended from a long line of Welsh Quaker ancestry, established near Valley Forge, Pa., in William Penn's day. Judge Richards himself was born at Ironton, Law rence County, Ohio, in 1856, the son . of Samuel Richards, one of the pioneers of that town, and for thirty years secretary and gen eral manager of the Ohio Iron & Coal Com pany and the Iron Railway Company. His mother was a descendant of Theodate, daugh ter of Stephen Bachiler, who was a Puritan minister. He received a collegiate education, and was graduated from Swarthmore College in 1875 and from Harvard in 1877. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1879. From 1880 to 1882 he was prosecuting attorney of Lawrence County, and from 1885 to 1889 city solicitor of Ironton. In 1889 the Republicans of the eighth Ohio district nominated him by acclamation for Senator. He was elected by a handsome majority, and, although a new
man, at once became a leader of his party in the State Senate. . The Republicans of Ohio nominated him in 1891 for Attorney-General, and that fall he was elected. As Attorney-General of Ohio he established the principle that the Legisla ture was empowered by the constitution of the state, without amendment, to tax fran chises, privileges, etc., and drafted laws based on this theory, through whose agency the state debt has been eliminated. As Solicitor-General he had entire charge of the important cases resulting from the Spanish War, particularly those settling the status of the United States insular possessions. Most of the constitutional questions arising under the Dingley law and the war revenue act of 1898 came under his jurisdiction. Other successful cases of his were the Joint Traffic Association and Addyston Pipe litigations. He also had charge of the Northern Securities case until appointed to the Circuit Court. He was noted as a brilliant public speaker. He served as Solicitor-General from 1897 to 1903, when he became judge of the Circuit Court of Appeals, succeeding Hon. William R. Day, who was appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court of the United States, three years after Judge Taft gave up his judgeship in the same sixth circuit.
