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432 HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
and to some extent in later political history his name will not be forgotten."
In the past tAventy years Erie County has had no more conspicuous
figure in democratic politics than George C. Beis. For the past seven
years he has been the acknoAvledged leader of his party in this county
and has been sustained in his position by frequent test votes Avithin the
party. Both as a laAvyer and as a political leader Judge Beis is recognized
as a hard fighter, but his most virulent opponents have been forced
to admit that he is a fair one. His greatest pride is in his unsAverving
democracy.
Soon after coming to Toledo in 1883, Judge Beis Avas elected city
solicitor tAvo terms and later served one term of three years as probate
judge of Erie County. With these exceptions he has held no public
office. He AA'as a candidate for presidential elector in 1888 and in 1910
consented to the use of his name as a candidate for lieutenant governor.
He declined the nomination for this office in 1912 Avhen it AA'as practically
tendered him and he also declined a seat on the Common Pleas
bench offered him by Governor Harmon Avhen Judge Charles S. Reed.
resigned, about a year ago. He Avas chairman of the County Central
Committee in 1888 and was again elected in 1905 and has held his party
position ever since. He has also, during the latter period, served as
chairman of the County Executive Committee.
Judge Beis Avas born at Waterville, Lucas County, September 12,
1861, and received his early education in the schools of that village,
taking the full course. He then read law in the office of Scribner, Hurd
& Scribner, then the leading firm of attorneys in Toledo and finished
his laAV course at the University of Michigan graduating in 1883. In
July of that year he was admitted to the bar and came to Sandusky to
practice. Judge Beis married a daughter of the late Andrew Zerbe
and has three children. He has an extensive laAV practice and is admitted
to all state and federal courts.
Judge Beis has always been knoAvn as a good trial laAvyer and is Avell
equipped in his knoAvledge of the law. It is a peculiarity of the bar of <
Erie County that its laAvyers who are oldest in practice are not the
oldest in point of years. Judge Beis at fifty-three years of age is the
third oldest laAvyer in active practice at the bar, while still in the prime
of life looking fonvard to many years of professional usefulness. While
he has been an active politician he has Avon a great deal of his professional
reputation on the merits, and is entitled to the success he has
attained.
Charles II. Cramer is one of the oldest attorneys of the Erie County
bar. He AA'as born in Seneca County, Ohio, and obtained his early education
at White Hall in that county. He attended college one year at
Tiffin. He Avas admitted to the bar at Mansfield, Ohio, but in 1881 began
the practice of hnv at Sandusky. He has neA'er been a member of any
laAV firm and has avoided trial Avork. He is of a quiet and studious disposition
and naturally of a judicial turn of mind. The holding of such
an office as Probate judge Avould give him great enjoyment and be one