St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-27
John II. Ives, Col. w. P. Clough, As
sistant County Attorney Donnelly, 0.
B, Hills and ID, f. PEBBLES.

President w. j. FOotner, of the Com
mercial club. welcomed the gnests, and
said it was the first time the Commercial
club had an opportunity to invite the
legal fraternity TO dinner, and that the
success was due to the committee on
arrangements. Mr.. Footncr then intro
duced Ambrose TIghe as POSTMASTER of
the evening.
Mr.. Tighe said the success of the dim
her was due to Timothy r. Palmer. The
club appointed him as chairman of the
committee. He went to his Office and
wrote ali invitation to five members OF
the bar to meet him for the purpose OF
making the arrangements, and when
the nour for the meeting came he was
engaged, but he sent messenger, say
ing that he had very important case in
the high court of injustice presided
! over by Justice Nelson. MIR. Palmer
finally called on Secretary McGinnis. the
steam engine of the Commercial club.
who went ahead with the work. Con-
tinuing, Mr.. Tighe said:
"Gentlemep, my instructions are to
be brutal in order that others shall be
brief. We have no set speeches, but
will try and give all those desiring to
speak a chance"
Thanks" said Mr.. McCafferty, and
the voice was drowned in a roar of
laughter.
Zone of the subjects for discussion is
the revision of the statutes" went on
Mr.. Tighe, land every lawyer should
be in favor of revision. fer it increases
| litigation. Another subject is the jury
system. We have been taught to be-
lieve that every man is entitled to a
trial by jury. But there have been de-
cislons by federal judges within the
past few months which. if allowed to
stand, threaten 10 completely overturn
our Anglo-SaXon system Of Justice"
Mr.. Tighe then told an amusing story
on the Attorneys O'Brien, and wound
up by introducing Thomas O'Bren as
the first speaker Of the evening.
Tom O'Brlen Leads.
MIR. O'Bricn said:
II do not know what subject am to
talk On. For my own part, l should
prefer to critcise the bench, because it
is the only opportunity | have ever had.
| Laughter think. however. we shall
have to wait until new bench is elect
| ed. One thing, l hope the bench will
make no more rules, and, If it does, that
il will let the question of attorney fees
alone"
Judge Brill was introduced by Mr..
Tighe. who paid him the well-deserved
tribute of being an upright judge and
an hon ored citizen.
Judge Brill Said:
81 do not think should be called on
to make speech, for during the past
twenty years the gentleman of the bar
have compelled me- to sit and listen i'll
stead of speaking. Another reason is
that | am feeling indispoSed this even
ing, and should not have left my home
were it not for my great desire to meet
with the gentlemen of the bar. 1t was
| intimated to me that was to say some
thing about the faults of the lawyers
| This is probably scheme OF the bust
ness men to get at the inside crooked
ness between the judges and the law
yers. Lawyers have no faults. Laughter
| | presume if the time ever comes when
| men ard women are honest in Sentl-
ments and actions there will be no need
! for lawyers There is no need for them
now in Central Africa, or Turkey, or
| China. They are only necessary in civ
| iIized communities. In these commu-
| mites there must always be fixed rules
| by which the differences arising be-
| tween honest people may be adjudl-
| Gated. And where there Is system OF
| adjudication there must be lawyers.
! There must be men trained in the law
TO present to the courts the conflicting
claims of litigants. l have seen within
| the past year some harsh denunciationS
| of lawyers and courts. These things
| tend, in their ultimate results, 10 an
| archy. ! do not believe business men
understand the duties of lawyers"
Judge Brill then read from the stat.
utory provisions the duties of lawyers.
Continuing, he asked:
Gould there be any higher code for
| the government of any set Of men in a
! community? Lawyers sometimes make
| mistakes, but we must remember many
of them are made in the heat Of argu-
| ment."
Mr.. Tlghe said that all present had
such high opinion of Judge Brill, it
must have been very gratifying to them
TO know he entertained such a high
opinion of lawyers. Laugh ter. He
then introduced Attorney General
Childs, who spoke as follows:
The AttOrney-Gene ral.
IL apprehend that if the outside world
| could Lave its prayers, it would petition
the throne of grace to have these walls
collapse at this moment The discus
sions seem 10 become more interesting
as the hours advance and the gentlemen
of the bar become more acquainted
with the commodity of the bar This
is the hour at which the gentlemen Of
the bar are often compelled to sit in
their drearY Offices preparing pleas to
convince the landlord that ne should still
further defer payment of the already
overdue rent. Has some loved one gone
astray, has some husband been recreant
to his marriage VOWS. whose
but the lawyers ears listen to
the tale of woe? The lawyer
is strength to the down-hearted. and
he is plague to the client who does
not pay his fees. The lawyer today is
one of us. We jostle with HIM and even
question his law. But tomorrow he is
clothed with the judicial ermipe and
his opinions on the law are expected to
be infallibe. Can it be possible that
the donning of the judicial ermine can
accomplish such change? No, in
deed. Judges. like lawyers, make mis-
takes. But when the ship of state is
in danger it is the bench and the bar
that rescue it and bring it safely into
its haven" [Applause.I
Henry l.. Morse, the first lawyer adj
mitted to the bar in the then territory of
Minnesota, was next introduced, and
gave many interesting "reminiscences of