Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-08-25
WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUG, 25, 1897
A PRESIDENTS Address.


Following are abstracts from the adj
dress Of President Woolworth, OF the
American bar association, delivered
before that body at Cleveland, Ohio,
to-day:
The pleasure of congratulating one an
other, to-day, for what has been stated, is
qualified by an event Of melancholy inter-
est. In 1894, Thomas M. Cooley was
president of the association. bis address
was of exceptional wisdom and power. In
1881, he read a valuable paper. His BOOKS
on various branches of the law are very
useful and are held 10 the highest esteem.
His service in judicial and quasi judicial
stations, extending through many years,
cannot be overestimated. Under the
weight of great age, he has been with
drawn from any further share In the al
fairs OF the world, and he now awaits the
summons to another. You may think 1t
proper to communicate TO him some ex-
preston, in the hope that he may, before
the end comes, apprehend the deep sim
cerity of your respect. During the year,
gentlemen of great responsibility, inter-
ested in the national association of credit
men have sought conferences with me,
with a view to joint action of their socie-
ty and ours, in an effort to secure legisia-
tion looking to the suppression OF fraudu-
lent practices of insolvent debtors. Their
propositions seemed to be expedient and
useful, but l did not feel authorized to go
farther than express q personal sympathy
with their efforts. You may think 1t
wise to direct the executive COM
mittee or the committee on uni
organization with a view to united action,
in behalf of legislation on the subject in
which it is especially concerned.
President Woolworth proceeded at
great length to summarize various laws
passed by the federal and state legisla-
lures during the year affecting trusts,
building and loan, mutual benefit and
patriotic societies, aliens and property
holders, the health and protection OF
children, the protection OF w%age-work-
ers, railroads, inn-keepers, surety COM
panies and bicy clers, adulteration OF
foods, peddlers. irrigation, agriculture,
education, insurance, purity Of cleo
tions, administration of justice, and
uniformity of the law. He went on to
say:
A consideration suggested by this review
of the legislation OF the past year, is the
increasing vigor of the police power. !
Nine tenths or more of the statutes were
passed in its exercises. The activity OF
that power must necessarily increase as
society becomes more and more highly or
ganized; but with us it seems to outrun
necessity; like children, we are apt to do
for the sake of doing.
But there is more than that. There is a
disposition which hardly brooks restraint, !
to make use of government in all of one
class of citizens, or one kind of interests, at
the expense of others; to intrude into the
aft airs of individuals, aud to encourage
them to rely upon what can be done for
them, rather than on what they do for
themselves. This leads to SOM general
observation upon this tendency.
Our country is approaching an interest
ing Q )njunct ire. l do not wish to exagger-
ate its gravity; it is impossible to under
estimate it. This copjuncture which /
~foresee, like those which a been before,
however serious it may seem at the pres
emit moment, is not just cause for fear. At
the same time, in the midst of all our con-
fidence, we must not shut our eyes to what
is impending, but take good measure Of it,
and grid ourselves, SO as to give the help
our country needs, in order that she may
come forth happy, successful and regener-
ate.
Without keeping you longer from the
issue l may state it thus: The system,
%olitical, i, dustrial and social, which our
fathers founded, the doctrines and postu-
ates, the methods and institutes of that
system, are on one side. On the other, new
forces, theories, maxims and dogmas, alien
and hostile to those heretofore unquestion-
ed, are being brought forward; already
they ihave gained such acceptance that
they have begun to introduce themselves
into our institutions; they are Of such
novelty, vitality and intemperance, that if
once they gain sway, there will be a new