Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-10
LEAVE IT 10 LEGISLATURE
Bar Association Wants Law Makers 10 Fix
Number Of Supreme Judges.
TO GIT AUTHORITY FROM POPULAR VOTE
After Adoption of Several Committee
Reports Convention Hears Address
on Socialism by Chancellor
y. BENJAMIN Andrews.

IN the morning papers we're read Dy COM
missioner G. s. Lobingier OF Omaha. Prof.
Charles A. Robbins Of the Nebraska State
university and w. r. Kelngar OF Auburn,
and there was carried a motion to reconsider
the associations action OF the day before
committing It as favorable to a constitu-
tional convention as the best means OF
remedying supreme court defects.
In the afternoon this latter matter was
taken up and disposed Of by the adoption
of the J. II. Mcintosh resolutions, leaving
20 the legislature the regulation of numer-
zeal strength and salaries Of the court.
There was adopted also the report Of the
committee on judicial administration as
printed IN The Bee some days ago; a sup
Elemental report from the committee on
legislation affecting the profession, such
report being for the negotiable instruments
act as recommended by the American Bar
association and already on the statutes
Of eighteen states a Testimonial to Judge
O.. NJ. Lambertson, who died last June, the
paper being drawn by Judge Wakeley and
read by him. Bills endorsed we're one sug-
gested by Judge Roscoe Pound, looking to
the adjustment Of the assignment of
error technicality involved In appealing
cases. and another requiring that in making
such appeal the supersedeas bond In ali
cases going up shall be the same as in
error proceedings; instead OF the waste"
bond permitted in simple appeal.
Election of Omcers.
After a paper by Halleck F. Rose Of Lin
coin and before the address OF Chancellor
Andrews, the association elected officers by
endorsing the nominees Of the executive
council, and by the same proceeding ad-
mitted twenty-three additional members.
The officers elected were: John L. Web
ster OF Omaha for president; G. ]. Phelps
Of Schuyler. first vice president; z. c.
Calkins Of Kearney, second vice president;
A. r., Olson of Wisner. third vice presi.
dent; Roscoe Pound OF Lincoln, secretary;
@. A. Goss Of Omaha, treasurer, and w. r.
Kelligar Of Auburn, to succeed Congress-
man e. II. Hinshaw OF Fairbury as member
OF the executive council.
New members admitted were: ]. o. Det-
weller, w. A. Dilworth, @. c. Martin, /.
J. Dunn, E. J. Sullivan, J. w. Woodrough,
+. l.. Weaver, w. M. Giller. George H.
Thummel, Thomas. +. Lee, F. w. Fitch,
o. G. Redick, C. e. Herring and Gustave
Anderson, Omaha; A. H.. Murdoch, w. r.
Patrick, South Omaha; John s. Kirkpat-
rick, Minor s. Bacon and H. J. whitmore,
lincoln; James H. Woolley, Grand Island;
J. l.. Mcintosh, Sidney; A. A. Welch,
Wayne.
Throughout the meeting more attention
has been given to remedying the insult
cheney, numerically, OF the state supreme
court than to any other one topic. Kelligar
Of Auburn was ready yesterday morning to
defend the Mcintosh resolutions OF the day
before, which had been voted down because
at first thought to be unconstitutional.
ADOPT Mcintosh Resolutions.
They had been given attention during the
night by many attorneys. however, and
yesterday were promptly, taken up, on KEEL
ligar's motion, and finally adopted. They
are the meat OF Senator Halls bill, and
the association plans to first get the legis-
lature's approval and then let the associa-
tion's executive council go before the vari-
GUS political conventions with the proposal
that on the ballot of each party be placed
the proposition itself, which is that the
legislature be permitted to regulate the
size OF the court and the salaries, the size
TO depend upon the amount OF work before
the court. II is the opinion that the
proposition, thus made a part OF the ticket
prOper, will be carried safely, avoiding the
tail end process which has always been
the Waterloo of attempts at constitutional
amendment.
The adopted report Of the committee on
1uulCldl ADMINISTRATION submitted by Judge
@. B. Letton OF Fairbury as chairman, con-
tained four principal recommendations,
each Of which was discussed and then
separately approved. The first was that in
thinly populated counties the county attor-
neys be given only the civil cases and
their salaries cut. the amount each county
thus saves to apply on a general fund with
which one able criminal lawyer will be
engaged TO serve several counties as dis
trict attorney for a district to be made up
on a basis Of population.
Reform school and Divorce Law.
Another recommendation is that there be-
corrected anomalies in the reform school
statutes, such, for Instance, as that which
specifies that a boy cannot be sent there
after he is l6 years old. yet hat he may be
detained there until he is IS. The age for
entrance. the association considers, should
be is.
A third recommendation is to change the
divorce law in respect 10 procedure to
make 1t conform with a law now being pro-
NOTED in many other states. Particularly
IL It desired that the term OF residence be
lengthened from six months to two years
and that personal service be required in
stead of service by publication.
The report which Treasurer Goss sub
mitted shows receipts Exclusive OF collec-
lions yesterday, which will be eaten up by
convention expenses) OF S3Os.S5 with 1929. 40
of this In the treasury as a credit balance.
The membership is go, not including the
names Of the twenty-three applicants voted
ON yesterday.
Andrews ON Socialism.
Chancellor Andrews address on Social
ism" was in part as follows:
II I nave any special qualification for
discussing socialism II is that OF sympa-
thetic opposition. / was once as near
being a disciple OF Rodbertus as | could
come without baptism into the church. |
thought / saw In Rodbertian socialism,
socialism scientifically wrought out and
applied, a remedy for the most glaring
In time and upon study. however, the
system which had seemed to me so de,
sirable grew to look quite otherwise, the
difhculties connected with IL assuming
vaster and vaster proportions. until In my
thought they lowered above and out
numbered those necessarily bound up with
the present order. l was thus converted
20 the opinion that society has greater
hope OF reform on the general basis OF In
diVidualism than by flying To the unknown
though inevitable ills accompanying a so
Cialistic regime.
not a Is desirable for government 70 possess
and administer certain Indispensable public
81 utilities IL would not be worth discussion,
The thoughtful people are few, however
opposed to socialism, who do not believe
that government will in time take over a