The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-02-02
CBy Willis J. Abbott
Ardmoreite Special.


Washington Feb III have heard
md read a lot about eminent law
.ors that are supposed TO have been
sitting up, burning the midnight
invonting devious meth
IDS whereby their clients may re-
sort to corrupt ways and still re-
main inside of the revised statutes.
don't believe it. If there are any
such lawyers, | do not know who
hcy are.
But udge. fro mwhat ! have
read, that tie president OF the Unit
I'd States knows who they are, and
If he does, here and now call up
on him to name them. and | will
see that their cases are presented
to our committee on grievances for
and determination
And if the president doesn't
know their names. / demand that he
shall not say any such things again.
Joseph II. Choate.
Like his father, Rufus Choate, Jos
cph Choate Is one of the leaders,
II not the leader, OF the American
bar. Harvard graduate, lawyer, poll
tcian, ambassador to England ben
cher Of the Inner Temple, author,
lecturer and orator he holds dis
tnctive place I'm American intellec-
tual and legal history Of the last
half century 1t was said of the elder
Choate, and the compliment has a
double value. that the criminals Of
Massachusetts ceased to breathe
easy when they learned of his death.
Rufus Choate was undoubtedly a
great criminal lawyer, generally ar
ranging his talents on the side of
the defense His son Joseph Choate,
has been a corporation lawyer as
the term is now familiarly USED. lie
has secured exalted Office and fat
livelihood. cWesoutug large inter
ests. representing those with whom
! usually a sociate the Rooseveitian
nuwcuclatur malefaCtor of
wealth" or course it would be re-
scented If anyone suggested any
similiude between the activities of
lawyers like the Elder Choate, who
defended the malefactors of couple
of generations ago, and lawyers like
young Choate, who defend the inter
ests of those w.o President Roose'
welt calls the malefactors of the
present day"
one thing is certain however Ey
cry man or corporation is entitled
to fair defense, whatever the &C
.usation. No one has ever accused
Rufus Choatc of being an Height
mate practitione As much can b,
said of Joseph C,oate. Like father
like son However, the accused
should certainly be named, and thel
are entitled TO BE- confronted witt
the evidence and witnesses agains
them. lndiscriminate accusations o
general character, snap judgment
before trial are unwise, unfair ant
uncalled for. no matter from wha
source they come. This is especially
true when they eminate from tn
President of the United States ]
makes no difference whether 1t
three laboring men on trial for thei
lives in Idaho, or more generally tn
whole class of corporation magnate
who fall under the presidential bar
the principle is the same. Presiden
Roosevelt's sweeping Trades agains
undesirable citizens. and malefactor
of wealth, call for something bette
than a mere ipse diXit, even fror
him. Such abuse may proceed tror
most holy wrath engendered, a
it Is by intolerable practices; bu
even if disinEenuous, it is well tina
lawyer of the deserved respectabi
ity and reputation of Mr. Choat
cells upon the l-cuser to name u
acc ls' d. :, produce ;hn proofs ~
the witness, or forever hold hi
| peace.
In this connection it might not b
out of place to contract the differer
methods of the two men in both pa
ties who are credited with havin
! played the major part in arousin
pubic Indignation against preser
corporation abuses, President Roos'
Welt has condemned with sweepin
CONGRATULATIONS and broad elias
abuse. In suggesting remedies NJ
speeches are singularly fallow an
barren. MIR. Bryan on the contrar
has been more specific in his indie
ment He has confined himself NOR