The Cairo bulletin., 1908-08-25

Jgood lawyers 10 run for these impor
ant offices?"
The question has been asked man,
times and answered in various ways
That il is asked need not be taken It
lrehect upon any one who has held III
Ioffce, or upon any one who is seekinl
ii. for it was probably intended to i'm
lply only that the office has for years
been sought and filled by young at
torneys, beginners in the practice oil
law and 1t is not al all discredit to
any one TO be a young attorney begin
ming the practice of law Nor is II a
discredit TO such a man TO seek the
Office of states attorney. If he does
so with the purpose OF serving the
ipublic honestly and to the best of his
abiity--on the contrary, that is a
worthy ambition,
But the fact remains and has been
patent TO all who have given attention
To our court proceedings, that the peo-
pie have been at a serious disadyant-
ge for many years past in the prose
cution Of cases OF more than ordinary
Importance. because in such cases al
ways some of the ablesr men at the
bar have been employed By the de-
fense; and while ii may be admitted
that the prosecutors did their very
best it will have to be admitted also
that their very best efforts could not
equal the very best efforts of men of
long experience and OF exceptional
qualifications in legal lore and prac-
tice.
The law itself, aud the method oil
procedure under ID, aim, so it is claim |
cd. to protect the innocent. to insure |
a fair trial. But as matter of fact
and il is shown clearly in nearly every |
criminal case that is tried
the law, and the method OF proceed
ire very often hamper the prosecution
o the extent of defeating Justice in-
stead OF aiding justice, We have had
ome painful Illustrations of this dur
ng the last year or TWO. One require
nent for instance. which illustrates
his point, is that under which the
rosecutlon must give 10 the defense
be names OF all its Witnesses in adj
ance OF the trial, while the defense
nay withhold the names of its Wit
esses until the case is called fug
What opportunity this offers 10 tn
riends Of the defendant for work in ,
is behalf can be easily imagined
hen there are the many recognized
i admitted grounds for continuance (
two of which says the conservative :
Washington Post, are equal 10 an !
cqutta!.
All this only emphasizes the need If .
recurring the ablest men to represent
le people in the criminal courts o.
u community. but it does not answer
ie question asked by the speaker n -
Merchants Luncheon. The
nswer may perhaps be found in four
ords: II does not pay The lagi &
mate emoluments of the office do =
OF attract a man Of mature legal L
lind and high professional standing.
or does such man care to bother
nth the many petty cases which .
would demand his attention Per
apps herein lies fault OF our judicial
Ystem, which Is not found in the
state of Kentucky where ).
he prosecuting attorneys who rep. =
asent the people in the circuit courts
re elected, as are the judges them +,
elves. for the districts. and petty Of
'nders in the county courts are given -
ttention by county attorneys. II the l.
linOis system We're changed so th1t r
le prosecuting attorneys for the cll. a
nit courts were elected as circuit
ttorneys just as are the circuit
ldges, and 10 follow these Judges n
ON county 10 county TO prosecute =
I criminal cases they might try. with 7
compensation, then .
e would have little difficulty in Sc II
lring able men to stand for the of t
ce--just as little as We have now In h
curing able men to stand for the {
fice OF circuit Judge h
Here 1t seems, is something for the il
iw makers of Illinois to ponder over. q
nd IL II worth their best thought, for II
le evils complained of here prevail "a
, a greater or lesser degree in all $
in this state-and for u
lactly the same reasons.
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