Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-26
AMERICAN BAR ANNUAL
Auspicious Opening of Thir-
tieth Function at Portland.
ALTON B. PARKER PRESIDED
Address of Welcome at Formal Open
ing Of Convention.
SOME MATTERS FOR DEBATE
Proposed Insurance Law to Be Dis
cussed-Internation Association
to Meet Last of Week.

w euntSudy evening" Two nunOTeO Oele-
gates. had arrived before the convention
was called to order and as many more
were expected today and tomorrow.
An executive session of the general coun-
Gil was held at the headquarters preceding
the formal opening of the convention. Pres
ident Alton B. Parker of New York pre-
sided, and the officers and committees were
present. Final arrangements for the con-
ventfon have been perfected. City hall,
where the sessions of both the American
Bar Association and the International Law
Association, which meets the last three
days of this week. will be held, was well
filed when the convention was called to
order by President Parker.
One of the most important matters which
Will be considered at the meetings will be
insurance law, to be presented tomorrow
morning. 1t undoubtedly will be followed
by lively and lengthy discussion. This
committee has under consideration a bill to
safeguard the interests of life insurance
companies and the policy holders.
Alton B. Parker's Address.
Alton B. Parker, the president of the
association, delivered the address of well
come. In touching on the craze for fresh
legislation, he said:
The proper function of the legislator
should strive to ascertain the growing but
imperfect customs which spring from the
effort of people to correct errors, and
give to them the dignity and force of law.
This he often attempts to do, and fire.
quently succeeds But the task of even
the wise leg slator is beset with difficulties
SO many bills press upon his attention that
II he had the wisdom of Solomon he could
not master them in one short session. Many
such bills are introduced by men who do
not understand them merely that they may
gain the applause of the thoughtless or the
envious. Others are strike bills pressed in
the hope of unlawful gain. Still others are
presented from honest motives, but with no
appreciation that their enactment will work
injury, while still more represent the eff
fort Of unframed legislators to enact into
law what they mistakenly conceive to be
the will of the people
More mischievous still, as a rule are the
bills pressed for passage in the interests of
- political organization. Experience teaches
that comparatively few of the many bills
OF legislative session are carefully con-
sidered by the body as whole. Such con-
sideratfon as the average bill has Is in COM
mittee, and too often the ma jority of that
committee Is Influenced by party organiza-
ton, or by the governor, or by some other
leader who sees in 1t a party or fractional
cured by the same influence that moved the
majority to report it In other words, sup
posed advantage, either for the party or
individual members of it, is often made the
never appear on the statute books. Thus it
happens that every year many statutes are
passed which ought never to have been
heard Of
Unwise Statues Burden.
Every unnecessary and unwise statute is
a blot upon the state escutcheon and bur-
den upon the public. This fact is so we'll
appreciated in some states that the legs
lature Is not permitted to meet every year.
An illustration of the opinion of a lawyer,
upon whom as governor rested the RESPONSE
bility Of the exercise of the veto power
as to many bills passed only this year by
the legislature of the state Of New York.
is found in the fact that he vetoed thirty
seven, caused 1877 to be withdrawn, and per-
mitted 80 to do for lack of his signature.
making a total of asa bills which. after
passage through committees and both
houses, failed nevertheless to become laws
because of the governors action. While it
is true that some wholesome and necessary
statutes come out of such conditions like
those have outlined, in more instances I'M
necessary or positively bad ones spring from
them.
One of the ideals Of this association is to
elevate the standard of statute making and
to stimulate harmony in Legislation on the
part of the several states, for it is SO pro-
vded by the first and eighth articles of the
Constitution.
Abuses Must Be Checked.
Inc ABUSES lying at inc 1OOnQatlOn or the
| earnest but sometimes reckless cropping for
remedies must be checked. And If it were
necessary. In order to promote this result,
to pass through these processes, many Of
which will prove destructive of the rights
and interests of a multitude of innocent and
honest persons. still it would be well. For
the property, the services and even the life
of citizen should be cheerfuily sacrificed
on the altar of the country's necessities.
a c Ind wi ,,olc a 20
realize our ideals? Many of you are doing
much. Some are most intelligently press
ing on movement which originated with
this association, having for its purpose
uniformity of law in the several states on
certain important subjects. Many of our
committees devote time and la Dor to the adj
vancement of the causes committed to them
by the association. There is still more
ought 10 do. The members of this associa-
ton who are in general agreement with the
proposition that we should make haste slow
ly In legislation, both state and national
and that until amended the Constitution
should be adhered to according to its spirit
and purpose, have an opportunity TO help
on toward our ideal. an opportunity for
which your great legal knowledge your
high characters, your skill in the use of
both tongue and pen and your undaunted
courage pre-eminently fit you.
Legislators Crazed by Ambition.
You cannot move legislators crazed
| with ambition. But the people can, and
will do so when they fully understand
the situation. And we need never fear
| they will not understand it after time
| But the people should be informed now.
Do not forget, however, that If you at
| tempt It you will be denounced by the
demagogue and cartooned by the yellow
press. fate which has come to the few
who have appealed to reason and to JUS
| tice.
These tactics have enforced silence upon
many whose hearts have prompted them
| to point out the danger of goyernment
| by passion. But they cannot keep silent
| the earnest lawyers of this country for n
minute after they have determined that
| duty calls them to speak out. God grant
| that the hour of that determination is al
hand
The opening of the convention was de-
layed half an hour after the appointed time
| by the non-arrival of the speakers Presi-
| dent Alton B. Parker was introduced as the
| presiding officer. and he in turn presented
Gov. Cobb of Maine, who welcomed the
| members as the chief executive of the
state.
| Lucilus A. Emery of Ellsworth chief ms
| tice of the Maine supreme court extended
| the welcome of the Maine Bar Association.