Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-23
Delegates From All Over the
Country to Attend Debate
in Chicago.
MEETING or ILLINOIS BAR
Recall of Judges and of Judicial De
cisions Also VIII Be Discussed
at Gathering.

the presence or visiting delegates from
so other states.
The first session will take I'M the
subject of Reform IN Court Proce-
dure." The second meeting will be
devoted to discussion of the PROPOSE
ton for the recall of judges and the
recall of judicial decisions in Illinois.
Various subjects will be taken up at
later sessions.
TELLS OF LEGAL OBSTACLES.
Horace Kent Tenney, president of
the association, made a preliminary
statement regarding the coming meet
ing as follows:
"One of the main troubles with the
administration of the law through our
courts lies in the fact that the meth
DDS Of procedure impede instead of
help in the trial of cases. Lawyers
and judges are compelled to devote
so much of their attention to mere
questions of procedure, that their at
tention Is not only, distracted from
the merits of the controversy, but they
are compelled to waste time in get
ting at the real questions. These OBJ
structing rules of procedure are not
created by either the lawyers or
judges, but are imposed upon them by
existing laws which can only be
changed through legislation.
so far from being the choice of
the bar, these inadequate and cumber-
some methods are to the ordinary
practitioner a positive injury, from
which he would gladly be free. This
feeling OF dissatisfaction on the part
of the bar with the existing system
has inspired a deep interest among
lawyers in bringing about a change
in the present system, and a deep
| conviction Of both the duty and the
interest which the bar has in doing
the work necessary to produce the
change.
REFORM BILL PREPARED.
1.-TWO years ago the Illinois Bar
association devoted a great deal OF
time to formulating bill which should
reform our procedure. The subject
was carefully examined by a confer
ence of lawyers from different parts
of the state, who finally prepared {
bill, which will again be submitted Il
the legislature at its next session
Realizing, however, that the mattel
is one in which the legislature Otter
takes merely perfunctory interest, the
association is this year redoubling it
efforts in the direction of this reform
CAS- the subject is not local, bu
has an equal interest in all parts o
the country. the association, both 70
the purpose of stimulating greater
interest throughout the country ant
of bringing about a profitable discus
sion of the subject, has invited tn
state bar association of every stat
in the union to attend its annual meet
ing in Chicago April &c and 81
The bar associations of twenty-nin
states have already accepted the II
vitation, and the leading members O
the bar of these states will atten
as delegates.
SAYS LAWYERS FAVOR REFORM.
at is often said that lawyers ar
not interested in bringing abou
| changes in practice, and that on tn
contrary it is to their interest to maiI
: tain the present artificial and techn
cal system. think nothing could NOR
completely refute this idea than tn
: fact that so many lawyers from s
: many states at once volunteer to a
tend such a meeting for the mere pu
: pose of doing their share in brini
: ing about the desired reforms.
: THE session of the association wi
2 occupy two days. The morning an
I afternoon of the first day will be d
voted to a discussion of the subje'
of reform by the delegates from tn
] other bar associations. II is expecte
that the interchange of views betwee
| men from so many different localitie
! practicing under different systems, wi
e be of value both in deepening II
o widespread interest in the -::oje
: and in formulating the general pri
u ciples upon which change in proc
Z dure should be based.
SATURDAY TO BE ILLINOIS DAY.
u Saturday the discussion will
specially directed to changes whit
= are needed in Illinois and particular
to those changes which can be broug
about by rules of court and witho
special legislation.
= 1.-THE subject of the recall of judg
:, and the recall OF judicial decision
upon constitutional questions, whi'
has attracted widespread interest, "
= be the subject of discussion at the Sc
sion OF the association the eve
- ing of Friday, April &c. Both sid
Of the question will be presented
different speakers and thorough,
teresting and valuable discussion
expected.
1.-THE meeting will close with bs
ouet the evening OF Saturday, Ap
la. The association already has
membership Of about 1900 and it
expected that there will be 700 or S
members in attendance at the me
ing.
HORACE KENT TENNEY. .