The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1910-07-07
. H/S71CE HA/RAY Q .

mo nroceedinp and while It is d1gnlned II s'11A0'
some people also as being awfuily lunns. .,,,os -
Every Monday, as soon as oou.. ~naoa which
is the custom to read decisions on cases "n ',n+
have been considered and on which the cur.
is to pass Judgment. If the decision Oh siea
case is expected the courtroom always 40 w
and the members of the bar, newspaper nien CIV
others who have been present before ON lhe
occasions look anxiously to see wn1ch Juose -
to read the important decision. 1t any one VI
three or four Justices is to read IT there IS us
tinct sense of disappointment because nooouS
except the reading Judge is likely to near the
decision. In other words, some OF the juoses y.
the supreme court have such weak voices that
not even the men closest to them can eaten wha1
they say and everybody must wait until the decl-
sion can be read before knowing what IL 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 well
as those which come from the poor enunc1ation
and the weak voices of some OF the Justices
Legal language is the hardest kind of language
for the layman to understand, and the result Is
that when the decision is read the first part OF
occasionally makes It seem certain that one side
has won the case, while the tail end OF the dec1'
sion may reverse everything and give the case
to the other side.
There was one striking instance of this in
great case which decided three years ago,
The city of Chicago trying to effect changes
in its street-car system. The street-car compa-
MES held that their franchise was good for 100
years and that the city could not GUST them from
any of their privileges under their franchise. The
case went to the Supreme court and was of ire
mendous interest to all the cities in the United
States. Moreover, the speculative interests of
the country were awaiting the decision with the
keenest anxiety and interest for If it went one
way it meant that certain stocks still would be
of great value, and If 1t went the other way it
means that they would be worth little.
The decision was read in the Supreme court
by judge who had a good voice. Everybody
had made up his mind that II the Supreme court
decided that the railroad companies had hun
dred years franchise they had won the case and
that the city had lost. This regarded as the
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
dispatch messengers instantly to the telegraph
office with brief dispatch saying either THE
companies win," or 1.-THE city wins" This was
all that was to be sent out at the first instance.
for the situation understood in every
paper Office in the country, and single tip as to
which side would be sufficient to release
long stories Of the railroad controversy aid other
stcrjes already written Z" what re y.cto"y meant