Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-11
NEW OFFICERS FOR The BAR
Arthur G. Wakeley is Elected Presi.
dent by Association.
MUNICIPAL COURT IS DISCUSSED
Matter Deferred Until Next~MeettnE
for Report BY Judiciary Oom-
mittee-C. $. ElEutter
Reads Paper. O..
Arthur G. wakeley, president
]. NJ. Fitzgerald, secretary.

Arthur G. wakeley, president
j. NJ Fitzgerald, secretary.
j. ]. Boucher, treasurer.
j. A. c. Kennedy, Charles A Goss,sA II.
Burnett. Charles Foster. ]. A. Haley, mem
bers OF the executive committee.
The mon were elected officers OF the
Douglas County Bar association at the an
nuai meeting at the Commercial club.
The meeting was presided over by Charles
A. Goss. the president for the last year, and
was attended by about forty members
The principal subject under discussion was
the proposition for a municipal court for
Omaha and the tentative abolition OF the
offices OF Justice OF the peace. No less
than three bills are now pending In the
legislature on this subject. Representative
Walter p. Thomas was present at the meet
ing and spoke briefly of the bills, and
stated that ne believed all Of them were
susceptible Of improvement, 20 far as con-
cerned their ability to stand the test Of
constitutlonallty. Mr.. Horrigan presented
this resolution on the subject, which was
referred to the judiciary comrnittee:
Resolved. That the On h Bar a~ssocia-
ton endorse the establishment OF a NUM-
ciral court In the city of Omaha, believing
that It will tend toward a more efficient
administration OF Justice than obtains
under the present system OF justices OF the
peace.
The question was discussed at consider
able length and was finally left with the
judiciary committee to report at a later
meeting.
EIgutter Reads n Paper.
Charles s. Elgutter read a paper on the
subject OF "A Citizen OF the United
States" He showed that the constitution
while 1t provided for the government for the
citizens Of the United States, It did not de-
fine the qualifications of a citizen. nor did
II make sny provision therefor. lie held
that the question of citizenship was i
matter wholly within the province Of the
several states. and elaborated upon the
peculiar distinction between territorial and
state citizenship. 1.-THE status of United
States citizenship was materially changed
by the bred Scott decision" said he, land
was again completely changed by the adop-
ticn of the fourteenth amendment to the
constitution, which gave the right OF
citizenship to the negro, but even then did
not change the relation of the dual citizen
ship as shown in national and state citizen
ship. Citizenship comes through the states
and rot through the nation, although the
strong arm Of the national government is
at all times ready to protect and assert
the national citizenship wherever the rights
of the citizen are mensced."
A vote of thanks was extended Mr.. Ell
gutter for his paper and a motion
was adopted that more OF such papers be
read before the association.
The retiring president, Mr.. Goss. thanked
the association for its loyal support and
courtesy during the year, stating that the
honor of presiding over the association was
one that he would always cherish.
A light luncheon was served.
President Wakeley will announce the
standing committees at the next meeting
The vice president of the association will
be chosen by the executive committee, OF
which under the constitution the officers
are ex-officio members.