University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-02-08
SPIRIT OF THE NEWS


the Supreme Court "i Missouri We're
silly rot" b,--au>e OF the Judges ad-
herring Ia AN antiquated practice OF re-
ver>in% CASES on technicaliticS. He
cited several cases where important
decisions had been reversed by the su-
prcmc court because certain unimpOr-
tant words had been mis>pelled. and
where such words as "a and the had
been left out. To an observer this
looks in many cases as though these
technical errors had been put in the de
ci>ion> purpo>ely 50 that the case
would be either thrown out or reversed
by the supreme courts. When a Judge
rcrrr>cs an important ease that has
been brought at great expense of both
money and time to the supreme court
for final decision. because there is
grammatical error i'm some of the pa
prr>. it surely is time for some change
The practice of judges basing their de-
ri>i"n> on antiIuated practices has he
come So common. that when Il Judge
does brcan over and give decision out
"f the ordinary. or different from one
perhaps iI another country. IL hundred
wears ago. he is hcraldcd far and wide
for his radical decision This adherence
L" antiquatcd practices and decisions i
:" common at the present time that L"
Il person not vcrScd in the mysteries
al the law. it seems that supreme
iud"r considers the technical wor,lin" of
the verdict or Indictment of greater
Importance than the merits of the case.
Gov. Iladlcy'S appeal To the lcYi-la-
turr. asking for legislation to control
the prices charged by monop"lic> is a
movement that again places Missouri
i'll the front Of the agitation To con
trol rather than 10 destroy m"nopolic-.
Gov. IIadlry has taken the position that
I" destroy Il great monopoly that is
interviewer into the trade conditions "f
til" state would be Il public calamity.
and that it is better To regulate than
:" Kill business enterprise. He says
that through modern business channels
certain commodities naturally drift into
m"m"polic>. and To destroy them would
be 1" make the public suffer. lie be-
antitrust laws of Missouri would drive
fully Onc-thrd of the business enter
pri>r- doing business of one kind or
an"t her out Of existence Practically
every thinkin" person in the country
has already come To the conclusion that
i; i impossible To prevent monopolicS.
for they are a tendency OF the age. But
it l. p">>iblc to control the prices they
charge for their out put. and il i fact
"i great Importance that Missouri is
I" br the first to show the othcr com
m"nwcaths that monopoly is a good
thin" ii properly controlled.
\ twclvc-foot channel Tor the Mis-
souri, river is now in sight. \ river
and harbor BILL containing an appro-
tor Use on the Missouri
exceptions is the largest amount ever
for Use on the Missouri
river, was recommended by the House
committee Saturday. This shows that
sent imcnt in Congress favOrs improve
twelvc-foot channel proposition will
come in Il short time. The present APP |
will ba used mainly in re-
pairin" the dikcs and revetmcnt>. and
i'm getting the river ready for the deep
waterway construction when an appro-
priati"n for that purpose is made. That
this will soon be made j. shown by Il
statement by Representative Ellis OF
Kansas City made in Washington yes
t"rday. lie said that there was little
ioubt that next year Congress will au-
horizc the army engineers To start the
proposed improvement. for the large ap-
was made this year with an
idea of its being used for preliminary
work. The work will be placed in
.harge OF Captain Schulz. the army en-
,inecr at Kansas City, who directs all
'n"inc,rin" work on the Missouri and
tributary rivers.
Last Saturday the American fleet
,;,ilcd from the Straits of Gibraltar on
ne last lap of its famous trip around
h, world. In few days it will land
It Hampton Roads and after a record
'rcaking trip OF 24.000 miles. and an alb
,cncc OF two years. the Yankee sailors
will again he home. They have without
| >in@I" mi>hap of Importance. per
ormcd the biggest undertaking nj the
lind ever attempted and they have per- :
lap- done more toward promot inm i'll
irrational peace than all Of the Hague
tribunals and diplomatic conferences :
Yer held Furthermore they have
huwn the world an example OF >caman-