Judge A. Z. Blair

              Figure

Judge A.Z. Blair.


Judge A. Z. Blair
JUDGE BLAIR and his public service in cleaning up Adams County, Ohio, have been written about so much in the public prints that any word from us seems entirely superfluous.  In the February, 1911, issue of the Review of 'Reviews appeared an extended article by Albert Shaw, the editor.  In this article Mr. Shaw had this to say about Judge Blair personally:  There are traits of mind and character in Judge Blair that remind one of the patient and resolute country lawyer of Illinois, who, fifty years ago, was President-elect and about to enter upon his great burden of national responsibility.  Abraham Lincoln was more interested in the work he had to do than in the attainment of high place.  Judge Blair is very much of the Lincoln type—rugged, homely, reliable, honest—and his oratory is of the same type.  He is not so much interested in how he says a thing as in what he says, although his lectures are well built, have a definite aim, and are well delivered.

In the Literary Digest, the Cosmopolitan Magazine, and many other magazines, appeared articles concerning Judge Blair and the work he did in Adams County, while in the November, 1911, issue of McClure's Magazine appeared his own story.  When this story was published, former President Theodore Roosevelt wrote a lengthy editorial for the Outlook, a part of which we reproduce on the opposite page.

In his lecture work Judge Blair will discuss questions of interest to the people of every community.  The managers of the big Lyceum course at Springville, N. Y., which is claimed to be the premier course of New York State, have this to say of Judge Blair's appearance there on November 20th:  Judge Blair gave us a splendid lecture last Saturday night.  It is one every community should hear and would profit by the hearing.  Judge Blair is so impartial and fearless in his arraignment of the evil-doers in all political parties that the whole audience is with him at the close.

Judge Blair had been delivering public lectures for many years before this added publicity made him a national character.  He is very much in demand for special occasions, and has already been engaged to deliver a lecture on the subject, The Necessity of an Awakened Public Conscience, at the Second World's Christian Citizenship Conference to be held in Portland, Oregon, next year.  We commend him to all committees wishing a splendid speaker with a message that has been secured through vital experiences he has had, and because of the public work he has accomplished.



SUBJECTS

A Lesson to the Nation
The Necessity of an Awakened Public Conscience
The Moulders of Civilization




What Theodore Roosevelt Said:
ON THE LAST PAGE of this circular is reproduced a characteristic letter from former President Roosevelt to Judge Blair.  In The Outlook of November 11, 1911, appeared a three-page editorial by Col. Roosevelt, entitled, Applied Good Citizenship, a small part of which we reprint:

Judge Blair faced in practical fashion the very curious and ominous situation which actually confronted him.  The astounding feature of this situation was that the vote-sellers practically formed an association to intimidate and punish every politician or candidate who dared in any way to interfere with the practice of buying votes.  This is one of the most interesting and extraordinary incidents in our recent political history, and every real student of contemporary politics, every man genuinely interested in the betterment of our citizenship, should study it.  From what Judge Blair says it is evident that finally, simply from motives of self-preservation, the leaders of the two parties did sincerely endeavor by mutual agreement to put a stop to vote-buying, and that the vote-sellers indignantly resented this action and combined to prevent its repetition; and they succeeded in stopping the movement.  It was a marvelous instance of the utter cynicism and moral callousness produced by long-continued and uncondemned corruption.  Then Judge Blair and those associated with him made up their minds to proceed by drastic action, and, owing to the peculiar circumstances of the case, they quite properly moved against the vote-sellers and not the vote-buyers.  They acted with equal efficiency and moderation.  They punished in a pecuniary way only a few of the ring leaders, who endeavored to perpetuate old conditions; but they disfranchised over a quarter of the voting population of the county.  One incident worth noting is that the conscience of the women of the county was aroused to active hostility towards the corruption long before the men's conscience was touched.

The whole incident was extraordinary in itself, and is fraught with the most useful lessons to our people.  In closing, let me say again that every man connected with the movement for reform has a right to feel that he made the whole American public his debtor.




WE MIGHT publish many personal letters, extracts from magazines, periodicals and newspapers, about Judge Blair's public services and also about his ability as a speaker, but we content ourselves with reproducing the following fac-simile of a characteristic letter from former President Roosevelt.



The Outlook
Office of Theodore Roosevelt

287 Fourth Avenue
New York

December 12th, 1911.

My dear Judge Blair:

I am sincerely glad to get your letter and to know that you liked what I wrote.  One thing I liked about your account was the straightforward way in which you stated that the early part of your political history had not been of a kind that made for good citizenship.  I have not any patience with the hypocrisy of the many people who feel no shame for their own undiscovered short-comings, and yet attack a game and straight man because he frankly says that he did not always play the game as it ought to be played.  What I want to know is that he is a good citizen now and will be a good citizen in the future!  There are very few men who have not things in the past to regret.

With hearty good wishes,
Faithfully yours,
Theodore Roosevelt

Judge Albion X. Blair,
Portsmouth, Ohio.

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