The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-29
WEDNESDAY,, AUGUST 2o, 1905.

ttvittes, drawing lines of separation
between that which is, and always was
permissible, and that which shall no
longer be so: establishing boards and
commissions; and providing for a
scrutinizing which, more and more
prizes into affairs that once we're supnos.
ed to pertain exclusively to the indiyid-
ual primarily interested. All this "a
more or less Irritating, for the shrink
age In individual liberty involved in its
hurts. But 1t Is folly to suppose that
modern life can go on with it's ever In
creastng completely, and legislators be
dumb and silent. When legislators ara
considering . subject with which thew
may rightfully deal, the Temptation
Is strong upon them to go further than
ID necessary, or proper. but this is
an infirmtty of human nature, In
the summary Of legislation which ia
communicated to you from year to year
there are many statutes which might
well have been omitted from consider
alton by the legislatures that passed
them. OF all the bills introduced in
any legislative body q comparativelv
small percentage become living enact
ments. and Of these, but few ever really
enter into the life Of the commun-
ity. A mere glance at the report con-
nrms Mr. Carter's assertion as to the
passion of the American people for
legislation. do not believe in Laissoz
fairo. and yet as we all know a very
large number Of statutes are enacted
for no reason whatever except to
crafty the ambition Of some legislator
to have his name attached to law.
Every act passed, adds more or less to
the individual 'shrinkage" Of which
Maetorlinck speaks, but often with
out any corresponding advantage to
organized society, and undoubtedly the
citizen gets the worst of the bargain
whenever this happens.
l shall not believe that the great
volume Of legislation enacted by the
: last congress was inspired by mere
wanton lust OF power. 1t had back Of
1t something higher and better than
that: an earnest desire to deal with
conditions not very we'll understood;
and conviction that the time had
come for doing something. do not
close my eyes to the fact that we can
not have bewildering completely in
all our affairs, and at the same time
have perfect simplicity in government.
But in all this turmoil, the whirl of
machinery, government and mechan-
ical, the organization of labor and of
capital, the throbbing of every pulse,
and the strain of 1t all, to brain and to
nerve-what has become of the individ-
ual man? The development of the
state and of the institutions that COL
lectively compose 1t, is steadily pro-
hut ~
have pointed out what seemed to me
to- be the causes for the increased
legislation which marks the present
age. This legislation has. not been
the cause Of the tremendous activity
OF modern times. but the result of 1t.
We did not, perhaps, choose the blare
and confusion Of the life in which we
md ourselves entangled-but here we
are. The one thing that We ought all
to work for, is to prevent the oblitera-
ton OF men. The danger of today is
that the best and most promising of
our youths, 1.-THE expectancy and rose
OF the fair state" will be swallowed
up, ground up In the wheels of a re-
lentless, Unsuitable mechanism that
neither knows nor cares. What we
may do to reconcile individual right
and individual freedom with the as
sured certainty Of Increasing legisla-
ton we must do as lawyers, and still
more as American citizens. And out Of
1t all. step by step, we shall 20 for
ward-maybe-to better things. But.
anyway, we shall go forward.
Mr.. Peck's address was received
with generous applause when he con-
ciuded, and then the nomination and
election of members was taken nm
This was followed by the election Of
the general council, reports of the
secretary. treasurer and the executive
committee.
No general session of the associa-
ton was held this afternoon. but there
were conferences of the several sec
tons. William Draper Lewis of the
University of Pennsylvania and Chas
NJ. Hepburn of Indiana university
spoke before the section of legal edn-
cation. e1"-
The program arranged for the ses
sion this evening of the general asso-
citation provides for papers BY Roscoe
Found OF Lincoln, Neb., on "The Causes
OF Popular Dissatisfaction With the
Administration of Justice" and nv
john J. jenkins, chairman of the Judi.
CARY committee of the house of repre-
sentatives, on the subject, Can Con-
gress Transfer to the State its Power
to Regulate Commerce"
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