Judge Isaac M. Meekins
His lui.s boon a brillianf career; as a lawyer,
politician and jurist. He has won for him¬
self the respect and esteen of all who have
had any
WAKE FOREST is not a* large
as tlir l7ni\4Tsity or Duke, and
site is not quite as set on pro*
destination ns her sister of Davidson,
but take one of her law courses on
“How to become a Federal Judge" and
look at the result :
Edwin Yates Webb. Federal Judge
of the Western District; Johnson J.
Haves. Federal Judge of the Middle
District; Isaac M. Meekins, Federal
Judge of the Eastern District. If they
over create a roving judgeship, 1
think it should he given to the ven¬
erable founder of the Wake Forest law
school, as he is only a trifle over eighty
and still going it strong— Needham Y.
(illlloy !
Our Judge was born down in Tyrrell
in IsT.'i. That being a far eastern
county, right on deep water, he
naturally became a Baptist and went
to Wake Forest for an education, but
speedily fell victim to the darts of
Cupid. For four years he majored in
courting, minored in law. and in 1896
took degrees as a Bachelor and
a Benedict almost simultaneously.
Sounds strange, but entirely true.
Moved to Elizabeth City
Then he moved to Elisabeth City,
where lie could effectively assert his
talents, for he was at his best when
engaged in the trial of a hotly con¬
tested jury case. Here he could bring
into play his trenchant wit, his quick
repartee, the rapier thrusts of his
Damascus-like blade in the rough and
tumble of the trial, as well as his su¬
preme assets — his gift as an orator,
and his power as a debater. I have
known quite a few masters of debate,
but the only one I ever knew who
could quite compete with our Judge
was Dr. Cyrus Thompson, Secretary
of State, brilliant stump speaker and
political campaigner. On more than
one occasion I have tackled the Judge
and been worsted in a debate with him
right in his own court, too!
And when the fight really got going
strong, with Meekins on one side and
Governor Khringhaus or Hallet Ward
on the other, it would bring the multi¬
tude from miles around.
The ability of our Judge in this field
.•«win brought him into the notice of
(Iwilings with him.
By II. C. LAWRENCE
those charged with the fortunes of his
party — for he has always been an old-
lino Republican — as was his father be¬
fore him— and they began to take ad¬
vantage of his powers in debate and
oratory to run him for office. At first
they tried him out for local jiosts. then
they let him try his hand at district
offices, then they threw down the bars
and let him have his state-wide pick.
Ho has been a candidate for practical¬
ly every office in the state, and lie has
been known to run for the same office
several times. Not that lie expected to
be elected to anything, because the
Democrats hud everything safely tied
down, but lie brought out the votes,
for the people did crowd to hear him.
When I used to go to Elizabeth City
and got within a hundred miles of the
iuetro|4>lis. I always began to look for
-ign- : “Meekins for Senator." "Meek-
ins for Governor,” “Meekins for Con-
gres.4," "Meekins for Sheriff." Well, if
lie had run for Sheriff he would have
had distinguished precedent, for old
Grover Cleveland once held that office,
and had the courage to personally offi¬
ciate at a hanging, as our Judge would
have done had he held that office. For
agree with him or not, no one can
doubt the quality of his high courage.
tile posit iveness of his convictions, or
his readiness to maintain and defend
them.
When he was a candidate for Gov¬
ernor. the Democrats did not make the
mistake they once made in an historic
campaign and issue a challenge to
Meekins to engage their candidate in
joint debate, for when the Judge enters
the lists as a political orator, discre¬
tion is ever the better part of valor,
lie campaigned the state from Curri¬
tuck to Cherokee, and when it closed,
the few people who did not know him
before had become acquainted with
him. lie was not elected, but the people
liked li i in. even if they could not vote
for him.
On a National Scale
His outstanding abilities by no
means escaped the eagle eyes of the
Bcpublicati National Committee, and
they began drafting him for political
speaking on a national basis. As early
as 1142 he accompanied Senator Theo¬
dore E. Burton of Ohio on the special
train which trailed President Wilson
through the West, and his services
were eagerly sought in every national
campaign thereafter until lie wont
upon the bench. Some of his admirers
wished to nominate him for President
in the 1936 campaign. Had he been
nominated, he would hardly have been
elected, but if he had but talked over
the radio as Governor l^mdon did. he
would have received three time# as
many votes as did that eminent gentle¬
man.
He was pretty constantly in service
in some capacity, such as Postmaster.
Assistant District Attorney and the
like, until he was graduated to larger
spheres, and during the World War
we find him high in the administra¬
tion of the important office of Alien
Property Custodian, being General
Counsel thereof. And then, in 102-1
there was a vacancy on the Federal
Bench due to the death of the Moved
Judge Henry Groves Connor.
On a previous occasion in the his¬
tory of our slate the eyes of its
|нч>рЬ-
were turned to a Federal Judge from
( Continued on paye fourirtn )
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