The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-07-08

ing proceeding and while it is dtgnihed 1t strike:
some people also as being awfuly funny
Every Monday, as soon as court assemblies, Il
Is the custom to read decisions on cases "nicf
have been considered and on which the cour
is to pass Judgment. If the decision OF a great
case is expected the courtroom always Is crowded
and the members of the bar, newspaper men and
others who have been present before on Ike
occasions, look anxiously to see which Judge Is
to read the important decision. If any one OF
three four justices is to read 1t there is dis
tinct sense of disappointment, because nobody
except the reading Judge is likely to hear the
decision. In other words, some ofsthe judges Of
the supreme court have such weak voices that
not even the men closest to them can catch what
they say and everybody must wait until the deci-
sion can be read before knowing what 1t means
This inability or perhaps lack of desire on the
part of some Of the justices to read out loud. Is
great trial to the newspaper correspondents who
are anxious to telegraph the news of the decision
at the earliest moment possible. There are other
troubles which beset the correspondents as we'll
as those which come from the poor enlnciation
and the weak voices of some of the justices,
Legal language is the hardest kind of language
Tor the layman to understand, and the result is
that when the decision issread the first part of
occasionally makes it seem certain that one side
has won the case, while the tail end of the deci
sion may reverse everything and give the case
to the other side.
mere was one striking instance of this IN q
great case which was decided three years ago.
The city Of Chicago was trying to effect changes
IN It's street-car system. The street-car comma
Mes held that their franchise was good for 10o
years and that the city could not GUST them from
any OF their privileges under their franchise The
case went to the Sspreme court and was Of fro.
mendous interest to all the cities In the JTnited
states Moreover, the speculative interests os
the country were awaiting the decision with the
keenest anxiety and interest, for if It went one
way II meant that certain stocks still would be
OF great value, and If it went the other WOW !,
means that they would be worth little.
The decision was read In the Supreme court
by judge who had a good voice Eyarybody
mad made up his mind that II the Supreme court
decided that the railroad companies had a hun.
dred years franchise they had won the case and
that the city had lost. This was regarded as tha
crucial feature OF the W hole controversy.
The newspaper correspondents from the great
cities were in attendance at the court when the
decision was read and they were ready to
llspatch messengers instantly to the. telegram
'f1ce with brief dispatch saying either 'The
companies win" or "The city wins" This was
III that was 10 be sent out at the first instance
OF the situation was understood in every news
'aper office in the country, and single tin as to
Which side won would be sufficient to release
ong stories of the railroad controversy and otba,
tories already written Of what the victory meant