Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-07
LAWYERS INDIGNANT
Strong Language Used Re-
garding Late Appointment.
ACTION OF THE BAR
COMMITTEE TO DRAFT BILL FOR
SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.
To Provide That Half of Local Justices
Be Appointed From the
District.
ACTION OF THE BAR


room of Criminal Court No. 2. city hall. and
consideration was Immediately given to the
motion made by Mr.. Andrew Y. Bradley.
That committee of five be appointed by
| the chairman for the purpose of drafting
and submitting to this meeting resolutions
expressing the disapproval of the members
| of the bar of the practice of the President
| of the United States in appointing nom
residents to the bench of this District, and
| of the course pursued by him in the maxi
| ing of the last appointment"
After a heated discussion, during which
| the President of the United States was
| both criticised and defended for appointing
outsiders to the local bench, a substitute
| motion was adopted and an adjournment
| taken until Saturday morning, the 18th In
| stant. at II o'clock.
The meeting was called Friday of last
| week for the purpose of urging the Presi-
| dent to appoint local lawyer to the Dis
| trict Supreme bench as Justice Pritchards
successor.
About an hour before the time set for
| the meeting word was received at the City
| Hall that the President had decided to ap-
| point Justice Wendell Phillips Stafford ot
| the Supreme Court of Vermont TO succeed
Justice Pritchard. The assembly or local
| lawyers thereupon resolved itself nto sort
| of Indignation meeting, and only the per-
slstent intervention of cool heads prevent-
ed the adoption of resolutions prSctic lily
| censuring the President for completely is-
noring the local bar. motion 10 ADJOURN
until! today carried before the meeting
could act on motion made by Mr.. Brad
ley.
Older Members Again Absent.
Again today the older members of the
bar were conspicuous by their absence.
Mr. J. Holdsworth Gordon presided and
Mr.. John E. Laskey served as secretary.
After the minutes of the meeting of April
2s had been read MIR. Bradley renewed
his motion. In support of the same ne
said that no member of the bar approves
of the appointment to local oihces OF OUT
siders, no matter whether the salaries OF
such outsiders are paid wholly or in part
by the citizens of the District
Shall we remain silent merely because
there is no remedy?" Mr. Bradley inquired
'sShaf we continue to rely on the specious
promises of presidential candidates. which
promises will continue to be broken?
Continuing, the speaker declared that
presidential architects have for many years
Incorporated in their plans and specifics
tons one District of Columbia home rute
lath for ornamental purposes only.
1t was declared by Mr.. Bradley that OF
nine judges, comprising the Court OF APP
peals and the District Supreme Court. only
two were citizens of the District when ap-
pointed. Further he asserted that the reg
lister of Wills the recorder of deeds the city
postmaster, the superintendent of insur-
ance. the sealer of weights and measures.
the warden of the Jail and the intendant OF
Mr. Bradley went on to say:
Imagine the storm of protest that would
occur IL a resident of the District OF Co
luinbia should be appointed to an once IN
New York yet we sit down and calmly sub
nit to such treatment.
The salaries paid the local judges amount
to about $4,000 a year, Mr.. Bradley pointed
out OF that sum the citizens of the Dis
trict pay one half, or $4,000, while District
citizens on the bench receive only S12Ooo
of it.
Alleges Flagrant Abuse of Power.
But the financial view pales into ins.g-
nificance when we consider the latest
fragrant abuse of power by the executive"
Mr. Bradley contended-
ON spite of the fact that the President
knew there was no need for haste: that ne
knew Justice Pritchard would remain hero
at least one month; that he knew that the
Senate had adjourned and that he had post
poned the filling of the last vacancy on tne
bench till a political campaign in some state
was oyer-rather because of those facts, ne
appointed nonresident to this oeheh Iess
than an hour before the time he knew We
were to meet ana oecioe oii d S"
the place"
Mr.. Bradley insisted that there could be
no excuse for the President disregardlns
the wishes of the community and Ignoring
fbe members of the bar. No one, he point
ed out will say that local lawyers 90 NOT
possess the necessary qualifications Tor me
nroper discharge of judicial duties. Inc
president the speaker intimated. seemed
- be following the theory that might is
right in making appointments 10 the DIS
trict bench. He concluded: ,z.
"yyhile we may not make Theodore
Roosevelt the President, heed us, we may
make Theodore Roosevelt the man, respect
US. The adoption OF such resoluiion as
ie contemplated by my motion may not ac-
comnlish anything now, but 1t VIII be tax
ing stand that must result in ultimate
good
Mr. VIM NJ MILAN moved to amend Mr.
Rradley's motion SO as TO strike out tne
last portion of it, reading and OF the course
nursued by him in the making of the last
appointment
Mr.. n. H. Mcneil, who, il is said. was JUS
t,ce Pritchard's privata secretary. when the
,a,tar was In the United States Senate. next
took fine floor and protested vigorously
aeainat the adoption OF the motion. Such
action he declared, would be extremely un-
inst and he addeo tina; If he stood alone In
that opinion, he was Indifferent to what
a'The President has been exceedingly
Bberal to the District of Columeia, Mr.
Mcneil began but he was interrupted py
laughed to the showing made by Repre-
sentative Gi,Iet that many more District
people are employed in the exeeutIve de-
partments than the Distiiee 10 eN'i'o -
INV home is in North Carolina" Mr.
| Mcneil went on TO say ana retain ny
vote there You who have no citizenship
| should go to Congress and seek your
rights" Again there was interruption
aGive the gentleman from Nortn caro-
| lima a chance, Chairman oofooh uiie
good-naturediy.
ut is not proper for you to refer to me
! in that manner" Mr. Mcneil retorted Win
some heat. II am not here for the purpose
| of being ridiculed, but to express my opin-
| ion.'' 49, Aa.,nh
/ ant
naen annointed associate justice OF Porto
Rico. and that Mr. Morgan Il Beach.
| United States attorney for the District 81
| SoIumbia had announced positively TO the
sneaker that any assistants appointed In
| his office must be bona fide citizens of the
District. This position taken by Mr.. Beaas