The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-03
BAR ASSOCIATION
ENDORSES ACTION
Course Of President in Mexican
Situation Given Approval
by Lawyers.
Mr.. TAFT ON JUDGES
R. TAFT ON JUDO
Former President Delivers Ad.
dress Favoring Appointment
and Life Tenure.

ana Lille / cnure.
Montreal. September 1.-The Presi-
dent OF tho United States. an EXPIRES
ident and Il former candidate for the
presidency figured to-day by name or
by actual presence in the proceedings
OF tho American Bar Associations an
nual meeting. The association adopted
n resolution indorsing President Will
sons action In regard to Mexico. Ex-
President Taft addressed the members
tonight. advocating greater independ-
ence of the judiciary. Judge Alton B.
Parker, Democratic candidate for Pres
ident in 1904. proposed the resolution.
unanimously adopted. for the approval
of the celebration of century of peace
between the United States and Great
Britain.
Mr.. Tafts address. delivered at Royal
Victoria College. was the event Of the
evening. His subject was The Sclcc-
tion and Tenure of Judges"
Tomorrow the cX-President will
speak on the Social Importance OF
Proper Standards for Admission to the
Bar
Discuss Committee REPORTS.
Reports OF twenty-three committees
were discussed to-day by delegates to
the association. Tho committee on
commercial law Endorsed the Pomcr-
enc bin on uniform bills Of lading. and
opposed repeal OF the national bank
ruptCy act
a resolution asking the association
to condemn use OF the third degree"
was disapproved by tho committee on
Jurisprudence and law reform. The
committee also disapprovcd abolishing
the life tenure of Federal judges
The committee on uniform State laws
submitted a so-callcd Marriage Eva
sion Act and special committee re-
ported in favor Of uniform laws for
compensation for Industrial accidents
and their prevention.
Thomas W. Shelton, chairman OF the
committee on uniform judicial pro-
/, cedurc. reported that e1-Prcsidcnt
Tafts dream OF interstate judicial re-
lations" seemed near contamination.
MIR. TnfPs ADDRESS.
In his address Mr.. Taft said:
The greater the Independence of the
courts, the stronger their influence. and
the more satisfac DRY their jurisdiction
and the administration OF justice. In
popular government the most dill
cult problem is TO determine salts
factory method OF selecting the mem
bers OF its judicial branch"
Selection OF judges by appointment,
he declared. did not altogether deprive
the people OF this right. The Sc
lection can be really popular withou,
rcsorting 10 an election. The chief ex-
ccutive elected by the people 10 rep
resent them in executive work does, in
appointing a judge, execute the popu-
lar Will. He can search among the
members OF the bar and can inform
himself thoroughly as 10 the best
qualified Generally he has sources of
Information. both OF an open and con-
fdential character. and II he Is not him.
self lawyer or personally familiar
with the qualifications OF the candi-
dates. he has an Attorney General and
other competent advisers TO aid him in
the task. For these reasons. in every
country OF the world, except in the
cantons OF Switzerland. and the United
States, Judges are appointed and not
elected"
Mr. Taft admitted that the United
States had many able Judges by cleo
ton: but ne pointed out in many
states the practice prevailed OF re-
clecting good judges without contest.
Any good that might have been de-
rived from the elective system. how
ever. promised TO be lost he asserted
with the more general adoption OF the
direc. nomination system.
suppIicnnts before People.
Like all the candidates FOR Office TO
be elected under such conditions,
Judges he said. ARE expected to con-
duct their own canvass for their nomi-
nation. TO pay the expenses OF their
own candidacy In the primary. and in
SO far as any special effort is 10 be
made in favor OF their nomination and
election. they are TO make II them
selves They are necessarily put in
the attitude OF supplicants before the
people for preferment TO judicial
places Under the convention system
II happened not infrequcntly. for rea-
sons / have explained, tina, men who
were not candidates were nominated
for the bench. but now in no case can
the office seek the man. Nothing
could more impair the quality OF law
yers available as candidates or de-
prec!ate the standard OF the judiciary.
1t has been my official duty TO look
into the judiciary OF each state, in my
search for candidates 10 be appointed
20 Federal judgeahips. and affirm
without hesitation that In states whore
many OF the elected judges In the past
have had high rank. the Introduction
of nomination by direct primary has
distinctly injured the character Of the
bench for learning, courage and abili-
~. The nomination and election OF n
Judge are now to be the result of his
own activity and OF fortuitous circum-
stances. Newspaper prominence plays
a most important part. though founded
on circumstances quite irrelevant in
considering judicial qualities.
"rne result of the present tendency
ia seen in the disgraceful exhibitions
OF men campaigning for the place of
State supreme judge and asking votes
on the ground that their decisions will
have a particular class favor"
Fnvors Life Tenure.
In advocacy of life tenure for