The Washington herald., 1909-03-07

/ 50 100000 fine assessed by Judge Kenesaw
NJ. Landis, Of Chicago. against the Stand
ard OH Company Of Indiana. and which
( was set aside by the United States Court
Of Appeals. SAYS the New York Herald.
/ Waiting the issue like the coolest of
gladiators is the man who next 10 the
court itself had most 70 do with saving
I this vast penal sum TO the so-calIed oil
I trust. This man is John s. Miller, after
whose name in the Chicago city directory
( is the one word attorney"
I Mr.. Miller is the gentleman of i'm
munity bath fame. who saved the billion
dollar beef combine from the wrath OF
/ the government two years ago Through
/ that achievement he was heralded far
and wide as one Of the greatest. II not
the greatest. of corporation lawyers 4
few weeks ago came % him the new
prominence when the biggest court fine
/ in the civil history OF the world was
wiped out on grounds advanced by him
Each Of these legal feats drew the fire OF
President Roosevelt who tossed pre-
cedent TO the winds ia telling the people
there had been a fragrant miscarriage Of
justice Mr. Miller read what the Presi-
dent had 20 say and said-nothing.
A correspondent sought 70 learn the
story OF Mr.. Miller as lawyer and as
man. He asked among others. two men
who, outside the attorneys family. prob
ably know him better than anybody else
in the wOrld-knOw him as advocate OF
law and also as neighb0r friend, and
companion. One OF them said:
I'VE all love John :. Miller so well that
d
/ Of prejudice in his favor"
That was prompt judgment on the man
as man.
II a vote should be taken among the
members Of the Chicago bar TO decide
which is the foremost lawyer among
them said the second friend. 7 believe
I John 5 Miller would have a very large
majority
That was the equally quick judgment
on the man as lawyer.
Success IN defending a big corporation
! in cases where the public interest Is ar
stake does not tend 10 make lawyer
more popular with the masses. In some
/ quarters Mr. Miller is suffering the penal
/ " of his legal powers. Thousands there
are who Gisbelieve ne could do what he
I has done and retain a clear conscience.
/ They do not understand how ne can
square his work as a lawyer with his.
| civic Obligations as a man. Mr.. Miller
/ Is IN bad company. say these critics. who
complain that he is turning his great
/ talents into wrong channels and for
getting his duty 20 his fellOw-men
4 That is not the spirit I'm which Mr.
Miller approaches his tasks. Neither s
the popular view Of him the view OF
his brothers or the lesal profession. They
take of their hats in difference 20 his
rsr-
/ him All the virtues that command respect
among them-prOfessiOnal honor, purity
! OF purpose. a lofty conception Of citizen
I ship. irreproachable private character.
| impulses Of sltruisn. and-a conscience
/ that Is always al home
John :. Miller has fought in the courts
/ against corporations as hard and success
/ fully as he ever fought for them. Veto
/ ries Of HIS rs corporation counsel for the
/ city OF Chicago have saved the people
millions Of dollars and thousands OF hu-
Z man lives. To him. tor instance. must
I be chalked Up the credit OF compelling
railroad track elevation IN the munich
paiity. He thrashed the Illinois Central
( Railroad Company soundly and saved TO
/ the people the navigable bed OF the
/ waters Of the lake He established the
I right Of the people 10 open streets across
I railways and highways without cost. TAX
( ing the ground that public service cor
porati0nS exist only by virtue OF per
! forming functions for the public and
/ that their rights are Incidental 20 the
/ rights Of the people.
/ Il was IN this sort OF litigation he won
/ his spurs. The corporations did not en-
+ JOY the thrasEing. but they admired the
/ way OF the man who thrashed them.
/ Every time he won from them they gave
d d -
. they came 10 the conclusion that the best
thing 70 do was TO annex him on their
I own account. An able foe ought % be
ar equally able defender. they argued.
( They tried him and the results speak
/ for themselves.
/ Corporations have no monopoly on the
service Of Mr. Miller. The latchstrinE
( Of his ONCE IS out whenever the people
( have large interests at stake that need
/ a champion. They must be large IN
I terests. for the talents Of Mr.. Miller are
large talents. and there are plenty OF
4 lawyers who can take care Of the little
+ things. He does not put the dollar above
; duty. but he holds with the rest OF man
! kind that a man is worthy Of his hire
( Years OF hard work and study. a brain
/ that is crammed fun Of legal lore. an
/ acute intellect, a faculty for hitting upon
I and utilizing the dominant facts-these
\ make I'D an accumulated capital on
which e is fair 20 draw AZ least the legal
I rate Of interest. Mr. Mfler's fees are
! large. but he is not a usurer in his pro-
/ fession. He has the goods. The custo-
mer may take them or leave them. be
/ he corporation Tnagnate or buyer for the
] people.
4 Many times he is q volunteer in the
( service OF the public good Many times
/ he is drafted. In either case he is d loyal
/ soldier and a good fighter Between the
hours Of his professional work he shows
Z his active devotion 20 the lofty aims Of
/ the Citizens Association and the Civic
/ Federation. His personal and private in
( fuence IS on the side OF those who are
trying 10 make society and the world
better Il always has been so. and that
was why years ago, as young man, he
+ walked every Sunday far out 10 one of
the suburbs Of Chicago and read the serv-
ice in a little Episcopal mission. He still
/ goes 70 church regularly because his IN
! clinatiOn runs that way and because he
thinks * is the thing to do.
( Corporations tie to him because he IS a
/ good lawyer and knows where 20 hold the
shield 10 protect them. That IS about all
the interest they have IN him except they
( think he also IS a good fellow IN the high
/ sense. Hundreds OF widows and orphans
I IN Cook County like him as lawyer and
/ love him as man. In establishing their
rights and guarding their heritages he in
vested both his professional and personal
I interest
That was his attitude in the Flagler liti-
/ CATION which involved the settlement Of
the estate Of Augustus Garrett. a man OF
great wealth. He carried the day in this
famous suit before the United States Su-
preme Court when he was thirty-fve