The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-26
JUDGE PARKER HEARD
Late Presidential Candidate Addresses
Illinois Bar Association.

Chicago, May 26.-Judge Alton B.
Parker of New York addressed the
Illinois State Bar association at the
Chicago Beach hotel today on "The
Lawyer in Public Affairs" Judge
Parker was greeted by hearty ap-
plause as he arose to speak After re-
turning thanks for the cordial well
come accorded him, he said in part:
In studying, however casually, or
with whatever care, the modern de-
lvelopment of the law, and the scope
: of the men who follow it as a profess
sion, it is impossible to escape from
knowledge of the close relations which
the latter bear, almost as a direct re-
suit of their professional life, to our
politics. It is seen all along the line
Of public effort whether in village,
town, city, county, state or nation. It's
existence, therefore, cannot be over
/ looked nor can its Importance as a
feature in the history and deVelOpm ent
of the law, or of politics, be exagger-
ated. 1t is not a new tendency, hav-
ing manifested itself even in our ear
lest days when, owing to the siEnplici-
ty of conditions, the need for the law
yer and the recognition of his place in
our social fabric became only slowly
apparent. Yet. it is a tendency which
has grown with the growth of the
country and with the enlarged facili-
ties for the study of politics and also
with the added dignity of the legal
profession itself.
Relation of Judges to Party.
1T is interesting and valuable, then,
to examine briefly the relations which
our courts, both original and appellate,
/ federal as well as state, have borne to
/ partisan politics. In doing so we find
that, from our earliest history as a peo-
pie, long before our national system
4 had developed its character, our courts
/ had begun to draw to the bench, and
1 into the legal profession, not only men
( H.
idea, but those who had taken a
prominent part in the political activ-
tiles of the time 1t was not always
| the political partisan, because it must
I be borne in mind that politics have not
/ always been the striking line of di-
/ vision. In our earliest days dogma
and theological divisions, out of which
from the beginnings of the modern
history OF our western peoples, their
political divisions have finally grown.
we're the most potent agencies in at
tracing men to one side or the other
of some problem whether it related to
this world or was supposed to belong
to the affairs of the next.
THE example thus early set has since
been followed. Every chief Justice has
come to that high distinction after pass
ing through the lanes, alleys, streets or
highways of a party. AS a rule thew
have gone through many grades Of no
lltical effort humble as well as high
And. in no instance, has this system
brought to the bench a man who could
be called, or thought Of as a political
chief justice. In most cases. they have
been of such strong characteristics that
they have either dominated the court
or have largely contributed toward de-
cisiOns involving great principles and
that, too, oftentimes against the CON
tentiOnS of the extreme element of the
party from which they had originally
been drawn. No more striking illustra-
ton of this independence can. be cited
than that of Chief Justice Chase. In
politics, he was the strong advocate of
the principles of his party. In executive
office he thought it among the necessi-
ties of his career to suggest, to pass.
and to execute a law making paper
money legal tender. But when the
question came up before him as a mem
Der of the supreme court of the United
States not only were all his party train
ing, ideas and attachments thrown to
the winds, but his own action as secre-
tary of the treasury was reversed by
the supreme court of the United States.
a result which could not have been ac-
complished without his vote
Even the disputed presidential cleo
toral contest of 1877, unfortunate
/