The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-03
Attorney Hoffman tho Only Visiting
Lawyer . .ths Montana Bar
Association.
No Papers Came on the New
Code, but Lots Of
Letters Did.
Y Charactsristio Epistls From Dser Lodgs
-Cemmittses Appointed to do the
Work Mapped OaG

yesterday morning. Inefo WAS q Hoou ~
tendance from Helena, however, 40 mono Q
the courts were doino any amount OF BUS
ness Just ~ the time. The convention VA
called a. the instance of the Montana ba
association, whose president. Hon. W. 4
Cullen, called the meeting to order. JudR
A. III. Nelson was secretary. The presldinl
officer stated that lawyers throuRhous IN
state kad bsen requested to Examine ane
report on the different parts OF the code
but none of these gentlemen had a. ye'
ahown MP. Instead of that q large number
OF letters had come to the president OF tn
Bar association, in which tho writer's OF
fered various excuses for not having COM
piled with the requests made OF snsn'
Charles 8. Hartman, OF Bozeman, wfose
II agree with you that We owe some dutiel
to society and to the profession to which
" belong, and under that convietionl have
endesvored to see my way to II time to
comply with your request, but thus far ]
have not been able to take the time from
other matters demanding my attention, to
devote it to the preparation of such . paper
az you indicate" Ihos. G. Bach wrote;
AS I Am not able, at this time, to give you
my assurance a. to whether or not
I will be able to do 20, l must
ask you not to depend upon ms
for tho suggestion of any amendments
do 20, you may be assured that I will SUBJ
init, at the meeting mentioned. n suU-
Restions which. in my opinion, would make
the code harmonious and symmetrical"
JudRe Stephen De Wolfe. of Butte. wrote
that il the secretary of state would send
him = copy OF the proposed code he would
70 over it and suggest any changes he might
think Of benefit. Evidently the code did
not reach Judge De Wolfe. o. F. Goddard
wrote from Billings rsgretting that his de-
parture for the Knights Templar conolave
at Denver prevented him attending, and
that 'ths association will have to forseo
the pleasure and edification of listening to
a paper from me upon the penal code" Il.
G. Day, Of Livingston, stated that he had
prepared q paper on the penal code and in
timAted that il would be forthcoming on
the day set for that subject. Judge ]. W.
btrevel. Of Miles City, wrote that he would
AZ possible, and added: The attention l
have given IL already convinces me that it
has a great number OF imperfsctious." A
characteristic letter was that Of j. C. Rob.
inson. Of Deer Lodge. He writes:
i haven't as yet seen n of the printed
work of She cod commission as to either of
the four codes, and do not know what they
contain. l do not know where to get a
copy. I shall be very happy indeed to con-
tribute my humble efforts in doing some
good for the people of the state Of Montana
in the way of legislation. l can sos much
opportunity for a great deal Of good to be
done in the way of legislation by men who
- ~~oNttNnl. hp1% thnro 10 M
able difficulty in the way of doing practical
good. 1t Is scarcely to be expected of a
legislature composed of the material that
We might reasonably expect in this state, |
that any work will be don of a character
that will be of practical benefit to the state.
and viewing it in that light, l do not feel
like expanding much time and labor about
a matter that / am comparatively powerless
to remedy. l have given some Of the best
days of my life land days of hardest work
and most conscisntious) to the interests of
the people OF the state of Montana, in days
gone by, and have assisted in
s m,sfoltuns oa' an dS0'' s..rc tlUm 0n maa
in the state thanks me for it, I pre-
sumo. / presume there will be very little
difficulty in getting bills through tho legis-
lature for the modification Of tho dog laws, |
estray laws, roundup laws, and game and
fish laws and many others of similar
WClEAty llApOEIs u WHICH, We COulS 10 pro- |
positions that would dec; case the heavy sx-
penses OF state and county governments, or
that would tend to an economical admins
tration of public affairs, decrease crime
that has become 80 rife in the state, and to
protect the people, OF to insure a moro
speedy and.bettsr administration of justice,
the average man would stand sghast and
declare that such legislation would not do,
and feeling thus, / have very little heart to
go to work and make any attempt which
would require the labor and thought that it
would to make such improvements in any
of the respective codes as l think the con-
dition of AFFAIR." justifes. While much il
the people for their prosperity. after all IL
makes little difference whether a people
have . good or a bad code of laws. Thew
will apparently thrive and prosper a. we'll
under ono as the other. 1t is only a Dues
ton CT transferring property rights from
one man to smother (Which is usually done
I'm invitum') through the operation of tho
administration of laws by the court; but Il
does seem to me that people are not really
satisfied unless they are outraged consider
ably and robbed some. and it 10 like money
won and lost at gambling, it is
only a question which side gets it.
Having held aloof from such affairs and
matters of quasi public importance as long
rs I.havo, and having been a mere looker-on
1t has afforded me al opportunity for dis
passionately viewing the grand farce Of the
attempts to administer our municipal GOV
rnment and the attempts also at the ad-
mlnistratlon OF public justice in our courts:
but after all everything seems TO move harl
monlously along. and the people in the
main are satisfied"
Attorney Hoffman, OF Great Falls. sta ted
that A. j. Shores was expected on the after
noon train from Great Falls with a paner
on the civil code. This meeting adiourned
till that time. but Attorney Shores not com
Ing. a resolution offered by Massena Bul.
lard was adopted. allowing the chairman To
APPOINT a committee of three on zach
division Of the OWL code, to report Thurs
day morning. Judge Cullen appointed tho
following:
Persons-Masssna Bullard, c. B. Nolan
and X. G.. Davies.
Propsrty-E. w. Tools. A. G. Botkin and
j. U. Sanders.
Obligstions-R. B. Smith, ]. W. Kins,ev
and Z. G. Russell.
General provisions-John Shober. E. G
Carlton and j. A. Carter.
The meeting then adjourned until this
morning.
Pioneers Association.
Pursuant TO adjournment the Association
OF Montana Pioneers will hold its regular
annual meeting at the court house in Hell