The Republican journal., 1901-08-29

Hon. Charles E. Littlefeld'S address
before the American Bar Association in
Denver was devoted to the decisions of
the United States Supreme Court in the
insular cases, and like all his public
utterances has attracted wide attention.
At the close of the address, which was
roundly applauded, Mr. Adolph Moses
of Chicago took the floor to protest
against it as ''an unWarranted attack on
the Supreme Court of the United
States, but he was promptly ruled out
of order and silenced The New York
Herald has these just comments on the
incident:
No doubt the distinguished lawyers
present would discountenance as strong
ly as Mr.. Moses any ''unwarranted
evidently did not regard fair criticism
in that light. Such criticism, whether
it comes from lawyer or the press, is
not onl y perfectly proper but, if intelli-
gent and temperate, may serve use
full public purpose. Courts and judges
are neither infallible nor beyond criti-
cism. Like all other public tribunals
and officers, their acts are open to ex-
animation and comment That is but
common right of free speech and
press. When the privilege is not abused
Its exercise is not to be regarded as
either IAN unwarranted attack on the
court or personal reflection upon the
judges.
At the recent convention of the
county commissioners of Maine in
Ellsworth, the question ''WOuld it be
wise for the poor of our State to be
cared for by counties instead of by
towns as at present." was discussed
and referred to committee of five
commissioners, who will report next
year. The question was suggested by
O. F. Fellows, Esq. Of Bucksport, and
by request he addressed the committee
in behalf of the proposed law. The
Ellsworth American says, editorially:
The care of the poor by counties
instead of by towns, though new to
Maine, would not be an experiment, by.
any means. New Hampshire, New
Jersey and many other States adopted
the plan long ago.
The arguments in its favor commend
themselves at once as good. In the
first place, by theory and practice, it has
been demonstrated that under the
county system the poor are better cared
for than under the town system.
The economy of the plan is the second
important argument in its favor. In
stead of dozen or more poor farms in
a acounty, or, in case of smaller towns,
big bills for care of paupers by the over
SeerS, there would be one county poor
house.
Another very important feature,
economically considered, would be the
doing away with large number of
pauper cases in litigation between the
towns. Instead of $50 towns that
might be involved in such litigation,
there would be but sixteen counties.
The amount of money expended by
towns of Maine yearly in litigation of
pauper cases would be astounding if
named in one sum.
The question will call for careful
consideration and should be fully dis
cussed before the time comes for legis-
lative action. We invite cOrrespon-
dence from the town officers and others
interested.
The September number Of the New
England Magazine contains two arti-
cles relating to the abandoned farm
problem: abandoned Farms as Homes
for the Unemployed and City's Poor"
by Clarence E. Blake, and ''The Hill
Town Problem" by Edward Asahel
Wright. The latter well says: ".Aban-
doned' is most unfortunate and in the
main untruthful term to apply to farms
that for various reasons may not be in
good state of cultivation. Let us be
more justly accurate and call them
neglected FARMS" Mr.. Blake says:
If country life does not promise large
fortunes, it does offer independence,
contentment and enough. When hard
times come, the man who depends on
the soil is less at their mercy than any
one else. Say what you will of farm
life, the earth feeds the world. All
want potatoes and onions Most of us
think we cannot get along without
cream, strawberries and a hundred
other things the soil yields. With