Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-08-30
ANNUAL MEETING
OF THE AMERICAN
BAR ASSOCIATION


35th annual convention of the Ameri
can Bar Association opened here TO
day at Hotel Pfister, members sale
4 that before the end of the three-day
session the Association might be spill
wide open by the fight for and against
the ousting OF Assistant Attorney-Gen
eral William II. Lewis, negro, from
membership. Lewis is known at Har
| ward, where he was graduated in 1894
as the greatest center rush in all foot
ball history
Lewis has champion In no less 8
parsonage than his chief, Attorney
eneral Wickersham. who has threaten.
ed to resign from the Association II
Lewis is dropped Col. Alexander
Troy. of Montgomery, Ala, has replied
! thus
you keep your negro and lose a
thousand members throughout the
south"
The executive committee admitted
Lewis to membership without knowl-
| edge of his color.
Presidents Address
The presidents address. by s. s.
Gregory. of Illinois, opened the meet
the most noteworthy changes In stat
ute law made in the several states
and in Congress in the past year.
Mr.. Gregory's recapitulation com
mended President Tafts proposed
treaties with England and France
pssodoId sul 6I9AIsu5lx5 p9MeIAal
which were abrogated by he Senate;
amendment for the direct election of
Senators without voicing criticism on
commentator; lauded the adoption
of the eight hour day for government
workmen, commended a trial by jury
in criminal contempt cases and the
proposed reform of judicial proceed
ure: condemned the election of judges
to short terms; recommended equal
suffrage and criticized Sherman anti
This last feature of the Presidents
trust act.
speech received by far the most
lengthy consideration. He was of the
opinion that the dis-integration of big
business was in direct opposition to
the centralizing trend of the times. In
regard to the Sherman Act he said in
part:
THE federal act in question, has In
my Judgment, accomplished little or
nothing useful. Prosecutions and pro-
ceedings under it, where successful,
have resulted in barren victories with
no practical result; and in the nature
of things nothing of permanent ad-
vantage ever can be accomplished in
governmental contest against econ
a governmental contest against eco
suggest that there may not be need
Of some legislation in this field If
there is 1t must be OF far different
character 1t must be by way of reg
ulation, and control of combination
rather than by prohibition. | believe
that this act ought to be repealed"
President Gregory then paid his re-
spects to the ladies of the land, say
ing: 1T certainly seems as If women
were entitled to self government as
well as men. II is the Jeffersonian idea
well as men. 1t is tn Jefersonlan ida
and believe it to be the true one that
all men are entitled not merely to
wise government, not merely to hon
est government, not merely TO good
government, but to self government,
| 1t is difficult to see how consistently
with this principle the political rights
accorded to men can be denied to wo-
men,"
In touching upon the case OF Judge
Cornelius II. Hanford, who recently
resigned under fire, President Gregory
ventured the opinion that the testi'
mony in the Hanford case was for the
most part trivial and fell far short OF
such high crime and misdemeanors as
would warrant the impeachment OF q
federal judge.
The Presidents address was closed
with an appeal for the more substan
general and for the issuance Of an ade
tial remuneration of the judiciary In
quate pension to the widow of the late
Supreme Court Justice Harlan.
President Gregory interpreted th'
radical legislation and Ideas preva
lent to desire upon part Of the PEG
pie to eircumvent the abuses tina
have grown up In the United Statei
since the framing up of the constitu
ton and to again return the govern
ment to the hands of the people.
At the conclusion OF the President
address the reports of officers and con
mittees and discussions OF these re
: ports were the principal features o
the first days routine.
Frank B. Kellogg's address ON 'Ney
Nationalism" comes tomorrow morn
ing. Following the discussion of thi
paper there will be discussions regar
ing proposed laws to prevent della