Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-27
THE AMERICAN BAR.
THE FOURTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING
OF THE ASSOCIATION.
Neariv Two Hundred Members Present.
Address Of President Baldwsn-Nomi'
nations of the General Council.
rBy telesraph 70 the pispatch.l

BosroN, MAss., August 26.--Thc four
teenth annual meeting Of the American
Bar Association, the first held In New Eng
land. was opened this forenoon in Horti-
cultural Hall. Nearly 200 members were
present. After President Baldwin had
called the assemblsge TO order. welcome
was extended to the visitors by Hon. John
Lowell, the president Of the Boston Bar
Association. President Baldwin respond
ed. stating that the association felt pleased
with the warmth of the reception accorded
it in this old historic town. Though Phiia-
delphia was first city, Boston long hung
to the town system and its old and vene-
rated customs. After these brief remarks
he proceeded to deliver the annual ad-
dress, in which he said: The constitution
of the association made it his duty to take
as his subject the most noteworthy changes
Of statutory law during the past year.
In opening his address Professor Bald
win spoke of tho great diversity OF mat
ters treated by the Federal and state Gov
ernments and said:
mo one who has undertaken the labor
which this task involves, deeply interest
ing as it is as study of social science, will
regret that other provision OF our Consti-
tuition which makes the President ineligi-
bic for a second term. It calls for re-
view of large part. perhaps the best part.
of the history Of the world since last we
met: for where is history more truly writ
ten than in the legislation of the times,
and what new field Of legislation is enter
ed upon in this age, in any quarter of the
globe that is not soon known and travelled
in every other?
Here, in America, are fifty distinct and
for most purposes, independent govern
ments, each with Legislature expected
and desirous to add something OF value to
the institutions of Its people. and between
which climate and soil and history have
made wide differences of social conditions.
There is the frontier Territory, offer
ing bounties for the destruction of lions
and panthers; the river States, with their
leyee system: the dry season States. with
their plans for irrigation and arteslanwelis
the South, with Is ignorant and halt
less masses of colored laborers: one State,
where commerce is main object OF re-
gard another where mining, another
where manufacturing is; some rapidly IN
creasing in wealth and population, some
stationary, some going backwards: some
still overrun with Indians, and some built
up on usuages and traditions that have
been the slow growth of nearly three Gen.
turies.
DIVERSITY OF FORCES.
"No land in human history has presented
such diversity of social forces working III
diherent WAYS towards the same end and
under common principles and attach
ments. Our own country has not before
the past year. which brought the number
of our States up to forty-four."
Professor Baldwin then proceeded in q
mastery way to review the acts of Con-
gress and of the Legislatures of the differ
ent States.
As this is matter in which the Ameri-
can Bar Association has always taken a
most active interest, Professor Baldwin
reviewed at some length the details of the
Judiciary Act passed by the last Congress.
And paid tribute to President Harrison
in regard to the fairness and excellence Of
his appointments in filling the new Circuit
Court judgesEips. He then reviewed the
other important acts OF the last Congress
in regard to Interstate Commerce. Inspec-
tion Of Cattle, Immigration. French Claims,
International Copyright, etc.
He then proceeded to review the laws
enacted by the State legislatures. having
carefully classified them by their subject
matter. and his address was most inter-
esting, as showing how the same matters
have been dealt with in the different
States.
Our President reported last year that
fourteen of our States and Territories bad
adopted the Australian ballot. The num-
Der has since grown TO twenty nine by the
accession of Arkansas, California, Della
ware, Maine. Maryland. Nebraska, Nevada,
New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio.
Oklahoma. Oregon, South Dakota, Ver-
mont. and West Virginia.
JOHN RANDOLPH.
John Randolph Of Roanoke once said at
a London dinner-table that "the adoption
of the ballot would make any nation q na-
tion of scoundrels, if il did not find them
So" The power to vote one way and talk
another would make men hypocrites. 1t
is singular instance of rapid revolution
in political ideas that within sixty years
from the time Of this remark England has
adopted the ballot in form securing the
utmost secrecy; that the English form has
been followed in majority Of our States |;
and that the last to retain the r,rd-r0ce vote
(Kentuckyl, having already abandoned 1T
in her largest city, has now by her Constl-
tutional Convention pronounced against II
altogether in popular elections. and pro-
poses TO make the Australian system part
of her fundamental law.
Laws relating to private corporations.
railroads, commercial contracts, relief for
farmers, protection of labor, rights and
duties of minors, education, aliens, and
non-residents. real estate titles taxation,
admission to the bar, the courts, statutory
offences. prisons, the jury system, social.
ism were reviewed in their order.
Speaking of uniformity of legislation
Professor Baldwin said: obedience to
law has no secure foundation which does
not rest upon certain reverence for it f;
and no people will long revere what they
see their rulers daily evade."
He closed his address by saying:
Our American system of government
has been distinguished from all Others by
Its giving through Its written constitu-
tions such guarantees of individual right
as no sudden change in public sentiment,
no sudden exigency IN public affairs, could
break over or break down. But constitu-
tons are nothing unless they are enforced
in the spirit in which they were con-
At the close of the Presidents address,
which lasted an hour and half. the general
council reported on the nomination of new
members. One hundred and sixty names
were presented, of which number 10l are
from Massachusetts and 81 from Connecti-
cut. There being no objection all were
constituted members.
THE GENERAL COUNCIL.
The nominations for the General Council
We're as follows: Alabama, ID. s. Troy ;
California, James A. Gibson; Connecticut,
julius b. Curtis Delaware, T.. G. Gulf ;
District of Columbia, ID. A. Lambert; ILL
nois, Z. Is. Sherman Iowa, Il. r. Baldwin
Louisiana. Thomas Balm Maine, Almon
A. Strout; Maryland, John 7. Mason
Massachusetts,, NJ. r. Dickenson; Michi.
gan. Alfred Russell: Missouri, William G..
Hammond; Mississippi, Robert A. Hill
New Hampshire, j. W. Fellows; New Jer.
sey, X. Parker; New York, George A. Pea
body; Ohio, Martin d. Follett; Pennsyl.
| vania, Richard Vaux Rhode Island, Amasa
Eaton; South Carolina. Clarence s.
Wetles; South Dakota, j. W. Wright
Tennessee, z. r. jackson; Virginia. II.
Page; Wisconsin. Bradley G. Schlay
Washington, Charles E. Shepard. Where
no names were presented the old members
hold over.
NUMBER OF MEMBERS.
After Committees on Reception and
Publications had been appointed the Sec.
retary. Edward Otis Hinckley, of Baiti.
more, made his report. Nine hundred and
forty-three members weIe printed in the
last report, land 160 more were added to,
day. The association has now member.
ship of over 1.lOO. The Secretary also re-
ported on few other matters Of interest
To the body. The Irpa auYar Francis