The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-29
THE AMERICAN LAWYERS
Annual Meeting Of the American Bar As
SociatiOn at Buffalo.
AN ADDRESS BY SENATOR HENDERSON
He Denounced Labor Union. "a.
Trusts, Chnractcrixinp Them ms
the Worst of All.


statesmen and lawyers OF national prom
inence composing the American Bar as
sociation met in the aldermanic chambe
Oh the common council. today and wer
welcomed to the city by Sherman S
rogers, of the local bar association an,
Walter S. Logan of the State bar associa.
ton.
Concluding his speech. Mr.. Logar
SAID i welcome you to the State o.
ooVernor ACKNOWLEDGMENT the Rougi
hider and Roosevelt the president of tn,
oiVii service committee. We welcome tc
the state of Hamilton and Jay. OF Ken
ana van Buren,. OF Tilden and Cleveland;
10 the State which delights to honor it:
best and foremost citizens"
In the absence of President Joseph II.
Choate, ambassador to the court of St
James senator Charles Il, Henderson OF
NeprasRa. as acting president delivered
'he annual address and said in part:
IN the twenty-five years that have
passed away since the American Bar as
soclation was organized, conforming itself
70 It's iofty purposes and high aims, It
mas surely subserved the public welfare.
ana ilVed up to its original declaration
mat 1t would advance the science of
Jurisprudence, promote the admlnstra-
tlon oil justice and uphold the honor of the
profession OF the law
To-day every State, except Nevada and
every Territory is represented in its mem
pershlp OF fifteen hundred lawyers"
Alter discussing the recent peace con-
ference at Brussels and the part to he
taken by lawyers in finally securing a
world peace, he continued; II doubt if
tOa Iva r..
ol our state governments has there been
SO much legislation. Forty-one of the
States and Territories have held legisla-
1--WE sessions. In some of the States the
session laws for 1899 fill over one thousand
pages. and the average number OF PAGES
is much over iive hundred. The quality
is not sufficient warrant for the quantity.
and if it be true that the country is gov
erned best which is governed least then
indeed most of the States are in sorry
pilght. A critical examination of these
laws Will not only force the conclusion
that We are governed too much, but the
character of much of the legislation with
lis sociallstc tendency. its destruction
OF individuality, interference with personal
liberty encroachment upon property
rights, making of the State not only
fostering father but nursing mother,
VIII alright every true lover of liberty
Many of the statutes will become dead
letters and fail of enforcement. thus ad-
ding to that disrespect for law that is
one of the evils of the time. Fortunately
not all are bad and he who will look
through the list of the session laws will
Ind many that Will command his ap-
prevail"
He then approved of the war against
the Filipinos and of expansion in an
argumentatiye manner.
Railroads are always the recipient of
legislative courtesies and can not complain
Of any lack of attention at the hands of
the aw-makers. The railroad commits
sioners in many States have enlarged
powers. The effort at governmental regu-
lation that looks towards absolute control
and the conflict between rights that are
and those that are Interstate.
continues and will do so until the Federal
supreme court definitely and with exact
tude decides the rule that will control
The power of direction and guidance by
he State authorities on the one hand and
he Federal commission and tribunals Oh
he other. 1t is to be hoped that the court
If last resort Will soon settle the import
mt question of what is the basis upon
which reasonable rate shall rest"
Viewing the work of the law makers !
md the courts one can not but feel some |
harm at the DRIFT of both, while realiz- |
ng that the action of many OF the corpo- |
ate creatures made by the law are such |
hould be called and their aggressive ad-
'ances cease. even if their destruction |
must be ordained to stop them in their
areer The fear is that we may go to
xtremes and that in wiping out the
nlquitous trusts we may destroy the
egitmate corporations. The public mind
5 excited by the yellow tinged articles
t partisan press and the loud mouthings
# blatant politicians, seeking simply
arty advantage and the keeping of power
+ the gaining of patronage to be dis
ensed.
That evils exist that need legislative
can not he gainsayed over
= fictitious Capitalization, monopolistic
andencies leading to the destruction Of
air competition, the decrease of pro-
ucing cost with advance of the price to
be consumer, are wrongs demanding a
emedy; but the corrective can not be
afely applied when unreasonng denun-
iation, furious hostility and desire for
artisan gain rule the legislative mind
nd trucking to popular cutlery sways the
Idcial decision"
He concluded with a denunciation of la
or unions as trusts, characterizing them
S the worst of all