The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-05-21

serve the public, but with distaste foI
politics and office holding may learn
something to his advantage by sookine
up the career of Louis Dembitz Bran
deis, lawyer and publIcIst, of the
United States and incidentally Of Bos
lton.
Mr.. Brandeis has never held public
once. He probably never will hold
one for he does not care to- He has
theory that he can do the communi-
ty more good outside Of Office than
in it. Keeping out Of Office, Mr.. Bran
deis has found that he never needs to
trim his sails to the moments direc-
tion of the breeze.
You have been reading his name In
the reports of the Ballinger-Pinchot
investigation in the last few months.
| If you lived In New England you have
not needed to look him up in your
who's Who" because in New Eng
land he has been for more than de-
cade a sort of unofficial attorney gem
eral for the public interest, serving
without retainer.
Louis d. Brandeis works for the
public simply from conviction that
somebody ought to. He is instict
with the public conscience. He under
stands the public interest and he
fights for it from sheer love of fair
play, of the fight and Of the oppor-
tunity to use his powers.
Born in Kentucky little over fifty
three years ago. Mr.. Brandeis was
educated In American and German
universities, being a law graduate of
Harvard. For thirty-one years he
has practiced law in Boston. He at
tanned success. even distinction, early
in his career; and then an abnormal
and interesting idea got possession of
him. He explained it recently some
what thus: Il had done pretty well in
my practice and In getting together
enough worldly goods to assure against
want: and then it seemed to me l
ought to do something for the public.
| have been trying to do It,"
Mr.. Brandeis' way Of doing some
thing for the public has been to
arouse the public to do something for
itself. His first great fight in Boston.
some ten years ago, for cheaper and
more honest gas is an illustration.
Boston's gas business was outrageous
ly overcapitalized. the gas was high
priced and inferior, and the situation
was altogether bad Mr.. Brandeis hir-
ed a hall and announced that he would
talk on the subject. The people
came and were interested He moved
off to another part Of the town and
hired another hall and delivered an
other speech; and he kept at 1t until
he had made an issue of gas. The
people were aroused and then Bran
deis was ready to carry the fight up
to the legislature. He got the legis-
lation he wanted. and today Boston,
as a result Of that fight, has cheaper
gas than most eastern cities.
That is the Brandeis way; to make
the campaign before the people,
strictly as volunteer; then to carry
the fight to the legislature. He next
took savings bank insurance, and OBJ
tanned efficient legal reforms. He
got the Massachusetts legislature to
pass new anti-merger act, under
which the Ne% Haven road is pro
hibited from actually merging the
Boston & Maine into its own system,
but permitting the New Hayen's hold
ing in the latter's stock to be turned
over to holding company. Under
this act the two roads must be oper-
ated independently. The New Haven
is prohibited from exercising any con-
trol. direct or indirect, over the Bos-
ton & Maine.
Then Brandeis, meddler in things
which. being of concern to everybody.
are widely accepted as of interest to
got into a national struggle.
He took up the question of limiting
the working hours of women in fac
tories to eight hours per day. His
measure has been considered in
number of states and wide interest
hos hnn,, q nrn,,cnd In, "a Illi.oi.. ........ i