New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-18

criminal conspiracy, then much may certainly DO
claimed for the elasticity OF the law.
/ Imagine more fascinating entertainment
than the trial Of great cause by great lawyers
before great Judge continually affords The lawyers
engaged in this controversy with the possible OK
cepiion Of Mr.. Carcr may not Usually ne
termed great.' but they are remarkable men.
The Attorney General. of course IS easily overmached
by all the OF them. Attorneys General In this
State always are, What ought to be an office of the
highest public usefulness has become hpenny-bit
affair. Aaron Burr, Thomas Adds Emmett, Martin
Van Buren, and few other men OF the first class
have held this Office in former times, but w1thin
recent years It has not been distinguished by any
particularly abs occupant. The chief reason for this
Is tho smallness of the salary that attaches TO the
Office. Able lawyers not attracted to n place
which custom has made Inferior and which IS worth
only $4,000 year. Tho Attorney General Is sup
posed to be the superior Official OF all the District
Attorneys the State and IT would not be improper,
IL might be a most desirable, Of his authority
he personally direct the most important
prosecutions undertaken by the People. as, for
instance, an imporan murder trial, or such prose
cution as that of Jacob Sharp. Mr. Tabor did not
have great deal to say I'm the Sugar Trust suit, ana
little would have been lost had he said even less
General Pryor IS In the case at the instance Of
Tammany Hail. which every now and then makes
grand rush for popularity by presenting Itself a.
case has really been brought by Tammany. Geneial
Pryor has done remarkably good work in getting
hold OF his evidence. Although the facts were not
even disputed when the trial actually occurred they
hard enough in the first nsianceand tho
credit for this well for mastery use of them
in the trial belongs to General Pryor This tall.
picturesque Vrginian, with his homely dark Indian
face and his long straight black hair, despite the
polite manner he wears and his habit of seeming
to bend whenever any ono at lcks him, IS yet an
ugly adversary in court of law. His mental move
ments are quick, adro and certain, and he cannot
be switched from the purpose he has in vieY His
amiablc and courtly manner Is seriously misunderstood
If it be thought to betoken want of resolution In
bringing out the fact Mr. stearns shut down his
newly bought refinery under agreement with the
Trust, he accomplished the task no set out TO ac-
complish and he left the facts in that relation to each
other which most striking and effective.
Mr.. Parsonss zeal in defending tho Trust was
probably not less earnest because he IS a member
Of IT. He drew up the original Sugar Trust agree
ment which If It be- adjudgod a criminal compact
VIII leave him I'm the somewhat painful position OF
having unsuccessfully endeavored to show people
how to break the laws with immunity. 1 suppose
a largo portion of the legal profession engages in that
of endeavor but 1t must be dlsagreeable to fail
at It, II Mr.. Parsons has failed It will be because
the thing cannot be done. without cOnceivng IT to
be a very high legal function to teach clients how
to accomplish unlawful object without making
themselves amenable 20 law it will have to be con
coded that If John f. Parsons cannot draw trust
agreement that the courts will sustain. then the Job
must be abandoned IL is fortunate that Judge
of Justice Barrctts experience, character and firm
has this question 10 decide; fortunate because
suspicion of demagogy on the ore hand, nor
of subservience to corporation Influence on the other
possibly attach 10 his decision. and because his
mind is capable of withstandlng persuasive legal
tech nd he enough
desire 10 avail himself Of them Counsel like Mr. Carter
are exceedingly powerful in their effect upon judicial
minds, and properly good argument deserves
consideration. and when It IS not met with better
one on the other side judge may be pardoned for
not figuring the merits out for himself