Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-07
War Dept.

and judicial, in force on February 81, 1901
the laws of Congress specially enacted for
the District and those general in their char
acter not locally inapplicable thereto. the
laws of the late assembly of the District
of Columbia and the laws and ordinances Of
the late corporations of Washington and
GEORGETOWN, and the late Levy Court of
the District of Columbia, besides the regu-
lations. police and otherwise, of the Com
missionerS of the District of Columbia, au-
thoriZed by Congress; in order to the due
knowledge and understanding Of which not
only wide learning, but also close study and
long. practical experience In their admins
tration have been necessary. or this mass
Of judicial and administrative rules and
principles the existing code attempted to
put into systematic form and to supple
ment only the statutes Of Maryland general
and permanent in their nature. like acts
of Congress applicable solely to the District
and like acts Of the late assembly Of the Dis
trict. the remainder being left unaffected
by the code. Throughout the entire his
tory of the District the whole body of laws
above mentioned has been under construc
ton by the local courts and the Supreme
Court of the United States to the extent
that the judicial decisions in the premises
are to be found in very many volumes of
the reports.
THE omission to include within the code
SO much the greater part of the old body
of laws obviously suggests that any one
called to the Interpretation Of the laws now
In force in the District, If he be not al
ready versed in them, must spend years in
acquiring adequate knowledge of them; and
on the familiar principle that an apprecia-
ton of new laws involves a thorough knowl-
edge of the old, and the appreciation of the
defects and shortcomings which the new
are intended to cure it is equally obvious
that stranger to our system would be
at very serious disadvantage in cOnstru-
ing the provisions of the code in cOmparl-
son with one familiar with the antecedent
laws, which 1t was intended to supplanr.
A. IL
the Jurisprudence of the District can ada-
Quately determine whether q given provi-
sion Of the code Is new legislation or old
legislation, either untouched or modified,
be familiar with the judicial construction
which has been given any part Of the old
body of laws. And, moreover. to make an
efficient judge for the District every occu-
pant of its bench should be familiar rot
only with the Htigants, witnesses and Jurors
appearing before him, but also with the To-
cal practice, which still. in its essence, Is the
practice Of the common law and in almost
no degree such as those who have practiced
under codes of procedure are either famil-
lar with or friendly to.
For these reasons II Is deemed by the
bar of the District of Columbia more i'm
portant than ever that it's bench should be
occupied by local men, and In addition to
the TACT that the lamented jurist whose
place is shortly to be filled was himself q
native of the District. who spent his entire
professional life therein. it would seem now
: peculiarly requisite that that place should
be supplied from the bar of the District OF
Columbia, and 1t Is our earnest hope that
you may in your good judgment select for
appointment to the vacant Office a suitable
person from among the members of our pro.
fession actively identified with the bar OF
the District, and one who has grown up
under the old system and become embued
with It's spirit and a knowledge Of its con-
stituent elements. Respectfully,
HARRY E. DAVIS Chairman.
| "A. 8. WORTHINGTON.
JOHN B. LARNER,
HENRY P. BLAIR
| CHARLES A. DOUGLASS"