The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1910-06-28

ial life and referred to himself As @an
overwhelmed pnblic oficiad whose
mind was necessarily crowded witt
the prosaic and exacting details OF
government"
'Contentment with m~ediocrity.s
said Mr.. wickersham, sds in my opin>
ion. ore OF the greatest dangers which
confron.s successful democracy ev-
~erywhere. The nope OF averting IL
rests largely vita men OF sound legal
education.
For, this same contentment with
-nediocrity breeds an impotence with
any sort of superiority. a desire to pc
little all. excellence, "a readiness to
impute wrong motives to anytaing
not easily understood, to accept cal
uInny as truth, without inquiry, and
a gradual ~lessening for advancement,
as it is perceived that peace watch
is often mistaken for happiness, is
alone to be found by accepting con
tentedly q place in the undistinguish-
ed multitude.y
Here h attorney general quoted
from the report of a committee .some
time ago appointed by the faculty of
arts and sciences of Harvard, which
expressed tine opinion that in award
ing high rank or distinction in col
lege. emphasis should he laid o
largely than it is upon ability to deal
with facts and principles as compar-
ed with information acquired or mem
DRY.
at is precisely hat ability which
is the ideal of the legal profession"
-. -- Ahn
achievement dis characteristic of its
most honored leaders and is utterly
inconsistent with a c~ontentnenI with
mediocre things.
That clear Thought, sound learn
ing and a consumate ability TO deal
with facts may be attained without a
law school training is abundantly at
tested by many illustrious examples.
Many examples may be cited to sus-
tain the theory. But as early as Black
stones day, thoughtful lawyers real
ICED tha. only occasional and excep-
tional men accomplished good results
by this h~aplazard sort of education
"But Uhe tendency of all collective
instruction is undoubtedly to discour-
age the free ,dev elopment of individ-
ual characteristics, 10 induce confor
nifty with conventional standards and
TO furnish the mind with a certain ex-
cellent equipment admirably adapted
20 the ordinary exgencies of life, but
rot always fitted to attack and master
exceptional difficulties. The genius
of Langdell escued the Harvard Law
School from that tendency.
THE rapid growth of our popula-
TEnn Tho n-wlNRol AoxrolADnd 70
%cilities of intercourse and commlni-
cation by land and water and air nave
given rise to problems of increasing
complexity concerning the relation of
individual effort to abe general pub
lie. which by reason of the obvious
inability of any single state of the
union to deal with them have been
pressed upon the national govern
ment for solution"
The attorney general then reviewed
in brief the development OF the last
few years toward the control Iof pub
lie utilities, and compared to it the
growth Of the machinery of trade, now
come into control of great lines of in
dustry by corporations or individuals.
Never before has lit been possible
to hay so direct a toll upon the public
through concentration of Industrial
power" he said. 1.-The full signifi- |
canoe of 1he attempt to check the
growth and power of great conbina-
tons through the commerce clause of
the constitution was SCARCELY peg |
ceived at the time of the enactment.I
of the Sherman law, nor until sued
interpretations of it had been
given by the Supreme Court. |
The history of nations indicates |
a certain period of national de- I
becomes necessary to in |
;erpose by legislation between the I
rapac;ty of individual greed and JUS |
tice and fairness { the whole peo- !
pie.
THE right of every community to 1
.legislate respecting property affected
by n public use was early recognized"
Mr.. Wickersham referred to the
Oil and Tobacco cases now
awaiting decision of the Supreme
Court. |