The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-21

President American Bar AssO-
citation Points Out Facts.

Denver, Col, Aug 21.-The twenty
fourth annual meeting of the American
Bar association opened with a large at
tendance of members and the parquette
and galleries of the Tabor Grand opera
house were filed with visitors. Admis-
sion was by ticket and the demand for
tickets was great.
The important feature of the morning
session was. the address by President
Edmund Wetmore, of New York, re-
viewing the important changes in the
statute laws of the nation and states.
President Wetmore in the opening
address discussed the more important
legislation of the several states under
the following classification: Corpora
tiOns and trusts, labor, taxation, mum
icipal ownership, elections, the admin
istration of the law civil and criminal
and newly created offenses, education,
the laws relating to marriage and the
relation of husband and wife, and laws
upon miscellaneous SUBJECTS for the
regulation of matters affecting public
health, morals or welfare.
Corporations and trusts, he said, con-
tinues to occupy much legislative at
tention. He said:
THE incorporation of a company in
one state solely for the purpose of do
ing business elsewhere is not general
~ looked upon with favor in the states
where they are intended to operate and
there is a tendency to exact, as far as
possible, the same guarantees and ex-
tend the same control over foreign COR
pOrations as over those chartered by
the state where they do business and
even to hold the foreign corporation to
a stricter accountability"
Mr.. Wetmore also said:
The subjects of trusts has entered
into the political issues that divide par
ence will, doubtless, show the expedi-
ency of modifying much of the legisla-
ton that has been had upon this diff
cult subject.
1T is a striking fact, however, that
while 30 states Of the union have adopt
ed stringent antitrust laws within the
past eleven years, yet during the same
period the amount of capital and labor
employed in the form of consolidated
incorporation, to which that name is
steadily, and even enormously increas-
ed, which would seem to show that
without trenching upon rights guaran-
teed by the constitutions of all the
states, the abolition of that form of
employment of capital is beyond the
reach of legislative power"
Treating of labor legislation passed
by California, Minnesota, Utah, Color
ado, Texas, Oregon, Illinois, Missouri
and Idaho, the speaker said that "the
right to cooperate belongs to all alike.
that constitutional guarantees secure
untrammeIled freedom to every man to
give his labor or to employ the la Dor
of others upon such terms as the par
ties themselves may agree, subject only
to the restraint of such abuses, as on
grounds of public policy and the public
right may be properly the subject of
legislative interference"
On the subject of elections in various
states, especially those in which the
election of United States senators by
the people and the referendum idea
have been adopted or suggested, Mr.
a distrust by the people of legislative
bodies.
The administration of the law by var
ious states, education and the laws re-
lating to husband and wife were hasti-
ly touched upon by the speaker after
which he took up the laws and regula-
fions relating to public health, as pos
sessed by the several states, Mr.. Wet
more said that a general survey show
ed some defects among which We're
over legislation; opportunist legislation,
the evil which produce what is known
as the political boss"
In conclusion, he said:
1.-THE exDonents of the extreme de-
clines of socialism are found. not among
the toiling masses, but among authors
and students and the theorists. The
preachers of the doctrine of discomfort
may be met among the educated, the
intelligent and we'll intentioned, quite
as often as among the self seekers and
the demagogues-
Block Burned at Elma, Iowa
Elma. Ia. Aug. .2.--Fire today de-
stroyed a block of business houses here
enfai1fne a loss of $4,000 The fire start