Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-30
AN EPOCH IN ITS HISTORY
The Saratoga Convention of the American
Bar Association.
IMPORTANT PUBLIC MATTERS CONSIDERED
international Arbitration Discussed
and ApDrOved-HonOring n Me-
brnskan-Summnry of
the Proceedings.

SARATOGA, Aug. 27.-(Special Core
have declared the Saratoga meeting of 1896
the most successful one in the history OF
the American Bar association, and that it
succeeded to an unprecedented degree in
securing the attendance not only of an
unusual number of lawyers but also of the
general public. The presence of Lord Chief
Justice Russell was, of course, in itself a
great attraction. The transient population
Of the gay summer city of Saratoga fur
nished an audience to hear the distinguished
guest nearly filling the great Convention
hall which the citizens of Saratoga erected
some three years ago for just such Oc-
casions.
To Omaha and Nebraskans generally the
recent session has also a special interest be-
cause one of its results was the election to
the presidency of the association for the
coming year of our fellow townsman and the
NLstor OF the Nebraska bar, Mr.. j. NJ.
Woolworth. In this case, however 1t may be
with party nominations, presidential honors
have been conferred for the first time upon
a citizen of the transmissouri country. In
addition to the presence OF Mr.. Woolworth,
who also read a paper before the association,
the Nebraska bar was represented by eX-
Senator Henderson. Mr.. w. s. Curtis,
formerly a lawyer of our city, but now
dean of the st, Louis Law school, was an
interested spectator at the meetings and
particularly those of the section of legal
education.
Aside from merely routine matters, such
as the election of officers. reports OF certain
committees and the discussion OF proposed
changes in the constitution of the society,
there was much in the proceedings to in
terest others than mefrbers and even others
than lawyers. i J..
The association did mot confne itself en-
tirely or even largely to talking shop"
Few OF the papers ana addresses were OF so
strictly a technical character that the stu
dent OF political science or OF history OF In
stitutions as well as the lawyer would not
find them profitable. All this vas evidenced
by the personnel of the audiences, which
though not always large, were usually indis-
criminate. and not entirely professional
The press dispatches and reports during the
session have already acquainted the general
public with the nature OF most or these
papers and addresses and In the case or
some of them, such as President Storeys
annuala address, a nearly complete report was
given, OF these, therefore, 1t is unnecessary
to make further mention here, but some OF
the other papers deserve a more extended
notice than the meager reference in the
daily press. -
ARBITRATION THE THEME
II one were to seek for the characteristic
feature of the late Saratoga session, that
which would distinguish 1t from all former
sessions-he would find II, l think, not In the
increased attendance alone, nor In the pres
ence Of eminent visitors, nor yet entirely
In the character OF the papers, but more
than all, in the prominence given in its
deliberations to the subject of international
arbitration and in the impetus afforded to
the movement in behalf of that great re-
form, The central feature OF all the exer-
eises was naturally the address OF Lord
Russell, and his subject was Arbitration. 4"
That he was able to hold the attention OF
his great audience for more than two hours
vas partly due, of course, to the personality
of the man. to his prominence and to his