The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-01
Justice BROWN Guest
OF HONOR At Dinner
N0TABLE1oMPANY GATHERS TO
SHOW EsTEEM FOR RE-
TIR1EG JUSTICE.

that the Possibility VI it Exists
Pays Tribute to the Jusnce.
Washington, May 31.-Associate Jus
tice Henry Billings Brown Of the Unit
ed States supreme court, Whoss retire
ment from the bench was announced In
court last Monday, was the gust ~
honor at dinner given by the Bar as
sociation of the District of Coluiabia
at the New Willard hotel tonight. i.
notable company gathered to do honor
to the retiring justice, those present
in addition to the members Of the Bar
association including a number Of in
vited guests, among whom were Presi-
dent Roosevelt, Vice President Fair
banks and Representatives of the ex-
.ecutive, judicial and legis ative branch.s
of the national government. President
Roosevelt arrived about o'clock.
Following the dinner there were a
number Of impromptu speeches, the
speakers including the president, who
responded to the. toast, The President, "
Justice Brown, who INDUCED briefly in
"reminiscences of his experience on the
bench; Associate Justice Harlan, who
expressed the regrets of himself and
associates on the bench over Justice
Browns departure; Vice President
Fairbanks, Secretary Root, Speaker
Cannon and William A. Maury of the
Spanish treaty claims commission, who
spoke for the Bar association. The
president was introduced by William
Mattingly, the president of the Bar
association, after the assembled gath
ering had drunk standing toast to
"The President" Covers were laid for
| seventy-six persons, the specially in
vited guests in addition to those who
made speeches including Chief Justice
Fuller of the supreme court; Associate
Justices White, Holmes and McKenna;
Secretary Hitchcock, Attorney General
Moody, Postmaster General Cortelyou,
Chief Justice Peelee Of the court Of
claims, Chief Justice Shepard Of the
court Of appeal of the District of Co
lumbia, Chief Justice Clambaugh Of
the supreme court of the District of
| Columbia, Senators Culberson and
Culberson and Warren, James X. Nc
Kenney, Major J M. Wright and
Charles Henry Butler, officials Of the
supreme court; III. L. Bond, jr., Robert
M. Hughes, Lawrence Maxwell, jr., and
4 w. ID. Guthrie.
President Roosevelt said In part:
''Mr. Chairman and you, our guests
| Mr.. Chief Justice: 1t Is sometimes a
good thing to be heard first. 1t Is al
ways d good thing to have the right tc
speak last. That right belongs to the
supreme court The president and the
congress. are all very we'll In their way
They can say that they think they
think, but 1t rests with the supreme
court to decide what they really
thought"
The president then paid homage Il
Associate Justice Browns labors on this
bench, calling his great jurist and 9
great constructive statesman. He re.
ferred to the fact that at times there
had been criticism of the supreme cour-
and said:
Mr.. Chief Justice, in this country,
think 1t would puzzle any one to name
any office or officer, any institution
any man or body of men, of whom it il
not true that there has been criticism
And l think that those among us wht
have been in public life will be thu
first to say that while the criticism
may not be always just, yet that it i
always a good thing that the possibiIit,
Of it should exist, and that the criticism
should at times be exercised.
ut Is astonishing how much any on
can profit even by unjust criticism, ant
so I am not going to waste sympath.
upon the supreme court because 1t oc
casionally in this manner shares tn
fate of our common humanity.
But, Mr.. Justice, / need only tell yo,
that the criticism Is In the minds of tn
people a very small and trivial thin
compared with the deep reverence fel
for the body Of which you have bee
SO distinguished a member. Here agai
/ state but the bare truth when sa
that know no other body here O
abroad, as to which there is such
concensus of opinion both here an
abroad as to the respect, the reverence
in which 1t is rightfllly held.
"Mr. Justice, we Americans are some
times accused Of paying too much hee
to mere material success, to the sue
cess which is measured only by the ao
QUESTION Of wealth. Do not think tina
that accusation is we'll founded.
great deal of notoriety attaches, an
must attach, to any man who acquire
8 q great fortune. If he acquires it we
and uses it we'll he is entitled to an
should receive the same mede of credi
that attaches to any other man VIII
uses his talents for the public good.
"But if you will turn to see those VIII
in the past the nation has delighted t
> honor, and those in the present whom
delights to honor, I think that you wi
all agree that this nation is sound a
J bottom in the bestowal of its admira
: tion in the relative estimate it puts ur
= on the different qualities of the me
: who achieve prominence by renderin
service to the public. The names tha
stand out in our history in the past al
names of the men who have done goo
work for the body polite.
"Mr. Justice, it has been your ST
s preme good fortune to make us all you
It debtors by the part you have played
y the greatest court of this or any otht
t, land. On behalf of the people 1 than
o you for the past and wish you well
4t,s f,,fs4pn