The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-30
Former Candidate for Presidency
Addresses American Bar
Association. ll.
POINTS OUT EVILS
OF OVER-LEGISLATION
Important Reports Of the Various
Association Committees
T.. Presented. ii


democratic candidate for the presiden
cy were members of the bar association
as the crowded gallery testified.
President George Peck introduced
Judge Parker immediately after calling
the meeting to order at 1890 am, say
ing: "We are fortunate in having with
us gentleman who has honored oul
profession by giving his life work to it.
His long and able, service as. judge OF
supreme and appellate courts of New
York are evidence of his ability. That
he is dear to all who know him Is evil
) denced by the honors which have been
deservedly conferred upon; him. The
applause which greeted Judge Parker
as he rose in response to these words of
introduction was hearty and prolonged.
Judge Parker's Address.
Mr.. Parker's address was an urgent
protest against overlegisIation. Zoo
much legislation, he said, was the bane
of the nation, and drastic remedies
against the evil were imperative. He
said: FISK. f., ; r,;
cit has become far more common to
look for a new law for the punishment
of an Sold offense or'for defining anew
the relations Of individuals to each, 9TH
er@t than it. is to invoke those. powers
or: remedies by which, over many cen
turtles, while law has been gradually
taking fixed form, men have been able
to punish crimes against society, or to
settle their own differences,
8, Causes! Of Overlegislation.
Popular clamor, failure to enforce ex-
listing laws, misdirected zeal ON the part
of executive officers, lack Of such zeal,
legislation in answer to the demands
Of party-these were some Of the causes
set forth by the speaker as operative
toward overlegislation and contributing
to such evils as the arbitrary power Of
speakers Of legislative bodies, the
tyranny of committees, intrigue, boss.
ism, logrolling, the burdening of the
Judiciary, and 1.-The general Ineffective
ness of the law. But these, Mr.. Parker
said. were not the worst evils. :, -. =.
-. II the III effects OF idle and mis-.
chievous overlegislation manifested
themselves only in the belittled char
hcter of our lawmaking bodies, the re-
suit would still be deplorable, he said.
"But they are most apparent, in the
attitude Of people which, starting at
Its own shadows, comes to depend more
and more upon 4, the so-called. strong
man; in that Dissatisfaction with courts
because they find temporarily popular
legislation either unconstitutional Or
the opportunities afforded to, the shall
low agitator, the dangerous revolution
list or the opulent demagog; and in
that inability to- think sensibly and to
act with decision In matters Of grave
Importance Having to do with the
maintenance *offour popular institutions
in their pristine purity. These are the
vital matters--those, which really count
in the making and the ma in tenance
of national character, in the creation of
= that respect for law which is always the
conserving that still more unusual quail
ity of waiting with patience for. the
slow and sure victory which comes with
devotion to fixed principles and pol
tcies.'' $3.50 -..~:, .--
Remedy for Evils. -., -.
His remedy for the evils Of law-con:
gestion is summarized as follows: u
"When we shall learn that legisla-
tive bodies must be made up of medioc-
rites so long as quantity and not quail
1ty of laws is regarded as the essential
requisite; when some Of the tempta-
ton to legislate- shall be removed by
less frequent meetings of such bodies;
when trained official craftsmen shall
be employed to give the necessary laws
legal and literary form; when execu-
tives are forbidden, rather than encour-
aged, by public sentiment to interfere
with the orderly course of law making,
;, these simple steps are. taken.
with hope to the times when hysteria
blackmail, partisanship, personal ambi
lions and selfish interests will not add
ten new laws to the statute books when
only one is needed.' ~ -:
He urged that the initiative in such
reform must come from, and much of
the work in making such reform Of.
.3ective must be done by, America s
lawyers. He said: r.
"Our association, it seems to me, can.
not better Justify itself, or more effect.
than by taking up this work, and plac.
Ing itself at the head of all well.de.
vised movements for the correction of
evils which have become so obvious. y
Reports of Committees.
=, After fve-minute recess, which fol
lowed Judge Parker's address, the as
aociation took up the consideration OF
the reports Of the various standing com
mittees.
P. W. Meldrim. Of Savannah. Ca
presented the report of the committee
on Jurisprudence and law reform, which
dealt with the classification Of laws and
federal bench warrants. The report rec
commended that the former subject be
referred to the special committee on the
,classlfication Of the law.sQn3 he;matte1
OF bench warrants the report outlined a
proposed law making them issue ,ssas
Judicial .srather than. administrative
; process.-but did not recommend its I'm
dorsement. This report was adopted.
Il Z, William P. Breen reported for the
Judicial administration and ! remedial
procedure committee that sickness and
4 death in it's ranks have prevented 3its
preparing q freport. u! ;4t,a 35,s .sst...s 10
Sifftatt-& 4 asA st$--rYt e.. lg,tg .T6iFxt ~
The Law Schools. .T =,
we Unifornits ssin the~-deefees agranted
by law schools was urged By9tFe, re.
port Of fhe section. of legal feduSeat ton,
presented BY, Henry Wade Rogers. Az
Ter timing the terms upon which the
Continued on, ed sPape. 9Th f,nlunon