SKETCH OF JOHN B. STALLO. 555 



local Superior Court, but this decision was overruled by the State 

 Supreme Court. 



Judge Stallo's liberalitj'- has likewise been exemplified, Mr. God- 

 dard says, " by his political relations, by the ease Avith which he 

 would change from supporting to opposing, or from opposing to 

 supporting, one of the existing parties, or keep aloof from politi- 

 cal action, or help to form a new party, and yet show adhesion to 

 well-rooted convictions." His attitude toward politics is com- 

 pared in Koerner's " German Element " to that of the tangent to 

 the circle, which only touches it at one place ; he has entered the 

 political field as if from without, only on great vital questions, 

 but then works indefatigably in support of what he considers the 

 right views, by word and writing. He was a Democrat till the 

 contest arose over the extension of slavery into the Territories, 

 1854-1856, through which and through the war he ardently sup- 

 ported the Republican side. He co-operated with the Liberal- 

 Republican movement till Greeley was nominated, when, finding 

 his views on the tariff antagonized by the candidate, he withdrew 

 from its further support. He advocated the election of Tilden 

 and of Cleveland, in the belief that the time had come for a 

 change in administrative policy. 



In the days of his life in Cincinnati, Judge Stallo was accus- 

 tomed to pass his evenings at home, in his library, in social inter- 

 course with his family or such friends as might call in, where he 

 would converse, Mr. Goddard tells us, in English, German, or 

 French, as his interlocutor might prefer, on whatever subject might 

 come up ; and with great interest on the discoveries and tendencies 

 in natural science and mathematics, or questions of philosophy, 

 or of political and social interest at home or abroad, or on history 

 and art and literature and men. While not all men could enjoy 

 his favorable opinion, of some he spoke with great reverence, 

 especially of Darwin, whose whole bearing toward truth and 

 toward other scientific men called from him the expression, " I 

 have many heroes, but Darwin is my saint." These conversa- 

 tions were often illuminated by bright flashes of wit, and illus- 

 trations drawn from extensive reading ; but, whatever his subject 

 or mood, his talk was simple and direct, and marked him versa- 

 tile and acute, learned and accomplished. 



