Evening star., 1904-04-30
LOCAL BARS PROTEST
Objects to Appointment of
Outsider to Bench.
SPIRITED DISCUSSION
FINAL ACTION POSTPONED UNTIL
MAY Z.
Meeting Of Association Adjourned and
the Subject Taken Up in
Mass Meeting.
SPIRITED DISCUSSION

The special meeting Of the Bar Associa-
tdon and Of ether members Of the bar at
the city hall late yesterday afternoon, called
for the purpose of taking steps with the
view Of asking the President to appoint a
local lawyer to be associate justice Of the
Supreme Court of the District Of Columbia
to succeed Justice Pritchard. who has been
| promoted to a United States circuit court
judgeship, developed almost into an indig-
nation assembly. Only the Intervention Of
cool heads prevented the adoption of reso-
lutions in vigorous protest against President
Rooseveh's action in appointing other than
| Washingtonian as Justice Pritchard's sue
cessor. The matter was not finally disposed
of, for a motion to appoint a committee to
frame resolutions along the lines indicated
was pending when a motion to adjourn until
Saturday Of next week was made and car
ried. The proposition will be further dis
cuSsed at that time.
The news that Justice Stafford Of Vermont
had been named for the District bench
reached the city hall an hour or more prior
to the time set for the meeting. as stated In
The Star. When President ]. Holdsworth
Gordon Of the Bar Association raped for
order the gathering he faced in the room OF
Criminal Court No. was representative of
the younger lawyers of the national capital
The older members, with only very 1ew
exceptions, were absent. The presiding on-
Ger explained that the meeting was a spe-
cial assembly of the Bar Association, called
| in compliance with request Of ten OF It's
members. He stated, however, that MEM
bers Of the bar who were not members OF
| the association were at liberty to be pres
| ent. -
There was a general laugh when President
Gordon directed Secretary John b. Laskey
| to read the call for the special meeting Ihe
| notice was specific in terms, to the erect
| that the object of the gathering was TO dlS-
| cuss matters in connection with nominating
| a local lawyer to succeed Justice Prltcnaro.
Mr., Baker Presents Resolutions.
Mr.. d. W. Baker was first recognized. He
offered the set of resolutions published yes
| terday in The Star commendatory OF Jus
| tice Pritchard In seconding the motion
that the resolutions be adopted Mr. Con-
rad H. Syme, who figured in the Machen-
Lorenz- Croft trial. recently, before Justice
Pritchard, as one of the attorneys Tor
Machen declared that no judge ever sat IN
court who was fairer to attorneys than
| is Justice Pritchard. The departure OF the
| latter, Mr.. Syme added, he considered
| deep personal loss
| After a few amendments had been made
| the resolutions were adopted unanimously
| Mr.. Andrew Y. Bradley then became the
center Of interest. He urged that the par
| of the District of Columbia should go on
record as protesting against the course
pursued by the President, who. Mr.. Brad
| ley asserted, had absolutely and willfuily
! dsregarded the wishes of the community
and had ignored the local bar in selecting
| Justice Stafford for the District bench. Mr.
| Bradley moved that a committee of five be
appointed by the presiding officer to draft
| resolutions embodying the protest of the
bar, the resolutions to be reported to the
meeting as soon as prepared.
Mr.. Baker made a point of order against
| the motion, on the ground that the call
| had been for the sole purpose of consider
Ing the matter of nOmin3 ting for
| the judgeship and therefore the meeting
could not go into matters not gernane
| thereto.
| President Gordon promptly sustained the
point Of order and affairs took IL more in
teresting turn. Mr.. Bradley moved thai
the Bar Association meeting be adjourned
The chair ruled, after yea and nay vote,
| that the motion was lost. Mr.. Clagatr ar
| pealed from the decision of the chair hut
! to no effect.
Oil on the Troubled Waters.
| Mr.. Henry E. Davis, who was recognized
| by President Gordon after admitting that
his feelings were outraged when he first
heard that an outsider was named for a
position on the local bench, stated that he
had been informed by Senator Proctor that
Justice Stafford has no superior as Judge
that he is learned lawyer and cultured
gentleman. Under the circumstances and
especially as the Presidents decision Is
final, Mr. Davis suggested that the best
thing for the bar to do is to accept the in
evitable and extend the glad hand of well
come to the newcomer
Mr.. Bradley fastened to explain that he
mad not reflected on the mental, moral or
Judicial qualifications of Justice Stafford
his indignation being directed against the
man who had made the appointment
I'VE have kept quiet too long," Mr. Brad
ley contended. THE time has arrived
when we should express the indignation we
all feel at the course the President has pur-
Init 1Uhf TO 1o
adopted by this meeting If the newspa-
pers won't print them, then, 1 say, have
| them engrossed and sent to the President
direct"
Demands Regular Order.
Mr.. Thomas c. Taylor demanded the reg
ular order at this stage of the proceedings.
President Gordon intimated that the proper
thing to do under the circumstances was
to adjourn the special meeting of the Bar
Association and then take any desired ac-
ton an independent body. An adjourn
ment of the meeting of the association was
ordered. Mr.. Bradley Immediately invited
| all the lawyers present to participate in a
meeting of the bar.
Mr. Gordon and Mr.. Laskey were chosen
unanimously presiding officer and secre-
tary, respectively, of the meeting.
Mr.. Bradley asked that what he had said
few minutes before be considered hav-
ing been spoken at the second meeting. He
went on to declare that the occa sion called
protest, for the appointment of outsider
without consulting the wishes of the COM
munity of the bar The speaker again
| moved that a committee of five be named
| to draft resolutions expressive of the indig-
nation referred to, If it was possible that
paper of texture sufficiently strong for the
purpose could be obtained.
Mr.. Simmons Protests.
Mr.. Leo Simmons, who is figuring in local
republican politics, objected to the turning
Of a meeting called for the purpose of NOM
mating candidate fer judge into an in
dignation meeting to Tebuke the President
of the United States.
rs Mr.. Chase PRESENT. inquired a voice
from the rear of the room, the reference be-
ing to another individual who is moving
about in the local political arena.
NO friends and fellow citizens Mr..
Simmons replied, .he is not present If he
were here he would know better than to do
this thing that Air. Bradley wants done"
''Will you insist on d home rule plank In
| the platform, If you are sent to the Chica go
convention?" Mr. F. Edward Mitchell de-