The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-06
ORATORY RULES
THE DAY AT
MARTINSBURG
In the Closing Session Of Interesting
Meetings of west Virginia
Bar Association.
1HE ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
Next Meeting to be Held at Parksrs-
burg-The Annual Address BY
Armistsad Q. aordop


specIal Dispatch to the 1ntelllgencer.
MARrrNsBuRG, W. Va, Jan. 81
The fnal days session Of the West
virginia Bar Association opened this
morning with interesting papers and
addresses. The annual address was
delivered by Armlstead c. Gordon, Of
staunton, Va. His topic was 'The Cit
zen and the Republic" He was fol-
lowed by State Senator Richard E.
Fast, with paper on 'some Elements
in the Evolution OF Government" The
other papers were by st. George Tuck
er Brooke, Of the West Virginia Uni-
verslty Law School, on "sSma Absur-
dltIes IN Our Law Of Dlvorce:" by c. D.
Merrick, of Parkersburg, on "The West
Virginia Judge: by /. ]. Williams, Of
LewIsburg, on Covenants and War
rapties as Used IN Deeds OF Convey
ance"; by James C. Frazier. Of Nor
gautown, on "The Foreign Policy Of
Fire Insurance"
Resolutions were adopted, favorlng
the organization Of local bar associa-
tlons on the line suggested by the
president and the extensions Of time al
lowed to arguments by the state su-
preme court.
A committee was appointed to urge
the passage by the next legislature Of
an amendment to the constitution
whereby the salaries Of judges might
be increased.
A committee was also appointed to
confer with the proper committees Of
both political parties relative to secur-
ing the nomination of non-psrtisan and
the best qualified lawyers for Judges Of
the state supreme court.
The question Of admitting women to
membership of the association was re-
ferred to the committee on admission.
Officers Elected.
ohlcers were elected for the ensuing
year, as follows:
L. j. Williams. Lewisburg, president
John W. Davis. Clarksburg, secretary.
w. N. Miller, Parkersburg. treasurer.
A, ]. clarke, wheeling; Angus ".
ScDonald, Charleston: George 2.
Price, Charleston; C. d. Merrlck. Par
kersburg, vice presidents. from the
First, Second, Third and Fourth Con-
gresalonal districts. respectively.
George 2. Price. and U. s. G. Pitzer,
were chosen delegates to the American
Bar Association meeting.
The next meeting will be held at
Parkersburg.
A banquet was held at the Hotel
Berkely tonight. Judge E. Boyd
Faulkner presided. and acted as toast
master.
The annual address Of Mr.. Armistead
C. Gordon. which was the feature Of to-
days session, was a scholarly effort.
Mr.. Gordon In part, said:
Mr.. aordon's Address.
The last half of the nineteenth cen
tury now closing has witnessed an evo-
luton of wealth and a revolution Of So
ciety, the like of which is recorded in no
written history of the world. ''The
Golden Age, Of which the poet writes as
being In the past" says st. Simon, tiles
before" US; but the prophesy Of the ear
Her Socialist. has been reversed IN the
fulhllment. Instead Of the Golden Age,
we have reached the age Of gold. The
advancement of every factor creating
wealth and developing trade and COM
meree has become stupendoua; while
scarcely less wonderful has been the
progress In the evolution Of the indi-
vlduHl. Universal opportunity of edu-
cation and universal suffrage have
contributed tremendously to the devel-
opment Of lndlvidualism; yet on the
other hand neither universal education
nor universal suffrage has been able to
dellnlt the powers Of class and priVi-
lege based upon aggregated wealth.
The social evolution has not kept ade-
auate pace with the evolution Of capt.
tai and the growth OF riches. Vast en-
terprlses, once undreamed Of, embrace
ing in their scope dominion and power
beyond the tabled influences OF the
genll; the growth of mighty citlea
whose population dWarfs the figures Of
statIatlcians; the momentouS aud ex-
traordlnary invention and improve
ments of machinery: the almost mlrae-
ulous discoveries Of practical science.
and the consequent revolution in indus
trial methods; the comparative annIhl-
Iation OF time and space in the means
Of communication through electricity
and steam; the possibilities OF luxury
and power incident to the possession OF
wealth exceeding accurate computation
all these are the material character
istlcs Of the age. and have In no other
section Of the world been so phenome-
nal as in America.
Commercial Expansion.
An expert, discussing in 1885 the ex-
tent Of commercial vaiueB and the vol
ume Of business in the United States,
says: with the tenfold Increase In
populated area OF the country, our
population IL fifteen times a. large a. II
was at the close Of the last century.
while the lncrsaSlng complexity Of gov
ernmsntRl administration has Increased
total receipts from customs and Inter-
mai revenue thlrty-hvs times what they
were In 1875. II may be no more than 4
coincidence, but It Is certainly note
worthy that IN Increase Of fifteen hun
dred per cent in population has brought
with II almost the same increase In the