The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-09-03
BlACkBAllING A SENATOR.

The meeting of the American Bar as
ISOLATION. which was held at Denver last
week, was enlivened by two sensational
events. The first was a wanton attack
on the federal supreme court by Con-
gresham Littlet1eld of Maine, and
reply made by another member who re-
moved the congressman's epidermis and
showed him up as a dsgruntled and ILL.,
Informed carper. The second event Of
Importance was the blackballing OF
United States Senator Thomas NJ. Pat
terson, certainly a most remarkable oc-
currence in view of his prominence, his
service at the bar and his residence in
the town of which the association was
the guest. Nothing was made public as
to the reasons for rejecting his appica-
tion. but whatever they may be, they
must reflect very seriously on the char
acter Of the Colorado senator. A hint
of their nature is conveyed in the follow
ing dispatch to a New York paper, re-
ferring to the event:
The really sensa tional incident of the
meeting was the bIackbalMng of United
membership in the bar association. The
local committee that passed upon his APP
plication was composed of seven menl-
beers Of the Denver bar, six Of them be-
ing democrats and one a republican. This
member, however, Mr.. Vale, was not
present at the meeting as he is in
Europe. The report accompanying the
recommendation that the application be
denied was not made public. 1t is gem
orally admitted that it must have dealt
with other than his legal qualifications,
as his standing as a lawyer is widely
known. Mr.. Patterson had some noto-
rety as a lawyer in Indiana long before
he took up his residence in Colorado.
1t is a most unusual thing for a lawyer
of reputation to be blackballed by the
American Bar association, and It's men,
bers are anxious to know the cause for
the action in Senator Pattersons case,
which is all the more remarkable in
view Of the fact that the newspaper Of
which he is the proprietor contained an
editorial the day before the vote was
taken highly eulogizing the American
Bar association and welcoming it's men,
Ders to Denver.
From the above it would seem that
there is a dark chapter in the Indiana
record of Patterson, and it may be suffi-
GENTLY dark to Justify the action of his
professional brethren OF the bar associa-
ton. 1t is not generally supposed that
an immaculate reputation is one of the
conditions Of membership in a bar as
sociation. Colorado, however, will not
weep because of it's new senator's hui
initiation. Though personally a most
affable and accomplished man, Mr.. Pat
terson has pursued the political policy
of a trimmer and demagogue. He de-
serted the democracy when Cleveland
was first nominated, and for years con-
Quoted his paper, the Denver News, as
ranting, incendiary, blood up-to -the-
brides, populist sheet. Last fall fusion
legislature was elected, which conferred
upon him the honor of United States
sena torship, but no sooner had he been
elected than he threw off the populist
mask and announced himself straight
democrat during his term in the senate.
Evidently ashamed of the party which
had elected him, and shrinking from the
ridicule which he thought would attach
ting that as populist he could have no
''pull" in Washington, he deserted his
popuist friends in their time of need
thus abandoning all claims to their re-
spect without winning that of the demo-
Gratis. In his present discontinue, there
fore, he is not likely to find much SYM
pathy in Colorado.