The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1913-11-21
Friday, November 2lst. 1913
A QUESTION OF PRICE

question, when a stenographer
can make more money than a
Judge is paid for his services,
will legal talent and equipment
long seek the bench?" And the
Union News answers, For
ever" And our reason for the
reply is that good stenographers
are scarcer than good lawyers.
The law of supply and demand,
one of natures immutable rules
and regulations for the conduct
of the universe, applies in this
case, just as in all others-just
as the plethora o ofsgold is making
higher prices in all parts of the
earth. The Sun seventeen years
ago, when it was Under different
management. denied the sound
ness of the quantitive theory,
but has since admitted 1T to be
correct; we wish to warn it
against departing from the
moorings again, for the quanti-
tive theory is good ground to
ancher in. State ISenator-elect
William j. Ogden will confirm
this to the Sun.
The Sun might have gone
much further in its unconscious
illustration of the eternal rela-'
ton between the amount of a
commodity for sale and the need
or desire of the purchasing public
for that commodity. 1t might
have asked, when a notorious
dancer can make more money
than the President of the United
States is paid for his services,
will competent and able men
seek the White House? And
had it done so the Union News
would have still made the an
swer. Forever. For such
woman, fortunately for them
and the world, are much scarcer
than men perfectly competent to
make excellent Presidents.
Of course, the Suns comment
is in connection with the resig-
nation of Chief Judge Henry
Harlan from the Supreme Bench
of Baltimore city to take a place
with a big trust company. 1t is
rumored that he is giving up a
salary of five thousand a year to
accept one of fifteen thousand.
AS WI Ting Fang said, THAT
was a pretty loud CALL" and no.
body can blame Judge Harlan
for accepting it. Judge Harlan
has served with ability; we
cheerfully concede this, not only
because it is true, but because it
adds point to our argument, but
the fact remains that there are
In Baltimore dozens of lawyers,
all of greater prominence and
ability than Henry D. Harlan
was when he was appointed to
the bench, who are perfectly
willing to take up the ermine that
he has laid down. Skilled law
yers are plentiful nowadays; in
New York city, it is said you can
get one to run on an errand for
twenty-five cents and carfare.
Had Judge Harlan never gone
on the bench it is just possible
that he would not have been
sought out by a big corporation.
His chums, James P. Gorter and
H. Arthur Stump, who began
life and the practice of law about
the same time with him, all in
Billy" Porter's rookery on St.
Paul street, never lost the desire
to be Judge, finally attained the
position, and are still satisfied
with it. Many of our Lest
Judges have been men who
could not make a living yractic-
ticing law in competiti',e field
in fact, the mone.,-making
lawyer is not the ideal man for
Judge by any means.
This question of high salaries
has an interest for others
than the lawyers. The public,
which foots the bill, has a big
stake in it, and the taxpayers
know from long experience that
they can get perfectly competent
men at the prices now offered.
When Judge Harlan was appoint
ed to the bench he was. heartily
congratulated upon his good for
tune, although the salary Was
then considerably less than he
has been receiving in recent
years. And it does not detract
from the good record he has
made to recall that his appoint
ment was purely political, made
through the influence of the late
Stevenson Archer, and was, it
was rumored, held back for some i
time until the young jurist had !
reached the Constitutional age of |
thirty years.
The Union News will venture
to wa Uar that skilled LAWYER