The Washington herald., 1913-10-19
ATTORNEY GENERAL M'REYNOLDS DISCUSSES
PRACTICE OFLAW, TRUSTS AND OTHER TOPICS
Son of Country Physician in Kentucky. He Began
His Legal Career at Nashville, Tenn. Later
Going to New York-Says Public Men
Are Not Dishonest.
By JAMES n. MORROW.

Ry JAMES n. MoRRow.
A wise old lawyer was talking over a
m6rder trial with his young associate.
MACK" he asked, -do you know the
law In this case?
ST relieve that do" the associate re-
nfied. He was James Clark McReynolds.
now Attorney General In President VIII
sons Cabinet
''The real law IN this case the wise
old lawyer continued, smiling at the con-
6dence Of HIS associate. isn't 70 DC touno
In the books.
uvith that the wise old lawyer dropped
the subject. He meant that the iaw
was 10 be found in the human nature OF
the Judge and the hearts OF the jury
men. .,..,.,
cot that day." Attorney General Mchey-
.noIds said during the course OF tns m
terview he gave me. Not long AZ 'ns
bar, overestimated tne iHpol'Nn u
the written statute.
Ura,,t n was a murder case" inter
,-,nted- and matters outside OF the
lava broken home and its griet an
shame. for example-naturally wouio DO
.ryou miss the point Mr.. Mickey
noIds reioined. There Is q human slos
practically to every case that Is ne
In court The case may be as ory an
dead as ashes, but there Is always
Judge on the bench. -ohs
changes a common man into pelns
Vitbout passion or prejudice 1t Is not
so. A fudge may be covered over VIZ :.
ian feet Of ermine. but dig through
and YOU will find a human oelng.
ssrhsre is much more to the pracuce
NJ the law than a knowledge OF the .M'
A statute is put on my desk for nnte.-
probation. My Interpretation TURNS upSa a.
The fudge before whom the stature ls
- he argued and defined. Judges nave
,haracteristics, methods, and prlncpies'
IIso feelings, Just like the rest OF US
Jrdue, wranEIe in Court.
.swhat sagacious lawyer, knowing nis
business and being sensible OF the sene-
mental side of his case, would nave nes
Iected TO give his argument httle heart
,ction before. such a Judge as was gooo.
ia Mr. Justice Harlan? / read de-
sision and know what conflict there was
Sabind closed doors between the men
making the decision. know now tney
-onteDded among themselves, one END Oh
fbe bench opposing the other or Doth
snds debating with the center. Inc hu-
uanity of the judges ana the narro"
margin by which their opinions are some
lines reached help to make the pracuce
If law interesting.
.T+ was THOMAS Carlyle, I think, who
said that the most important subject OF
study to man was man himself we
nften ignore that side of a wen-oalanceo
Education. A baseball pitcher might nave
all the curves and slants recognized ano
1nrecognized by physics, but he would
win few games unless he understood let
is say, the human nature OF each man
who comes to the plate.
$50 il is not the law always that SET
Ties a case" said.
ct is the law as interpreted by the
Iudges. who are human beings Every
man has grooves in which his thought
works. He has a mental policy. Perhaps
procedure would be more accurate
word.
''When the man happens to be a judge,
the lawyers who practice in his court
should not alone comprehend the law,
but should comprehend the man equally
as well. The law of case, was
cautioned many years since by very sue
cessfuI trial lawyer, and to whom L re-
ferred some time ago, is sometimes en-
tirely outside the books"
All this was said in voice full OF
solid tones and alive with energy, broken
bv an occasional high note such as
Thomas B. Reed employed, with drawl,
In his public addresses and personal con-
yersations In his uncommon face Mr..
McReynolds brings up memories OF other
great men.
Keeps Slender by Dieting.
His light gray eyes are large, sig
nifyins composure of mind and a talent
for oral expression. His nose is big
and aquiline, giving vigor to all his fea-
lures. His mouth is wide and oratorical.
and his lips ere straight and thin, curv-
ing upward in cheerfulness when he
smiles, which is often, and not down.
ward, which would denote discontented
nature. His chin is gladia.orial; his hair
light brown. Six feet in stature, he
weighs 1s5 pounds-keeping slender and
youthful in appearance by temperance at
the table-and is fifty-one years old. He
wore, when I interviewed him, blue
clothing black shoes, white shirt, and
a black and white tie, msde into bow
knot.
Facially and physically, Mr.. Mercy
rolds resembles the late John N. Harlan.
Associate Juctice of the United States
Supreme Court. In certain postures he
looks as Judge Harlan looked before old
age put a dewiap under his chin and
frightened the skin over his cheek bones.
Again. from certain angles. he calls up
memories of John G. Carlisle, who served
with distinction in the Senate and was
Secretary Of the Treasury under Presi-
dent Cleveland. ....
One moment Mr.. McReynolds is hand
some man. He unconsciou5ly changes
the expression of his face and the po-
sition of his head and instantly there is
z picture commanding in its Intellectual
ity, of a man, rarely, IL ever, seen be-
fore. 1t should be said in closing this
- fy1,r, rxava HNav-
Of the new Cabinet, that Mr.. McReynolds
is a bachelor, that he has made consid-
erable money as a lawyer and that he
thinks this world is not without its
share of roses and sunlight
Should lawyers" I asked him, who
work out the practical details Of a trust
be held as blameworthy as are the cap
italists who compose the trust?''
Il do not care to enter upon discus
sion of that question" Mr.. McReynolds
replied in some surprise. but with no an
noyance at the inquiry.
why Lawyers Organize Trusts.
THE ethics of our profession" he
said, after looking at me for a. mo-
Fnent, cover a good deal Of mapped.
and, possibly. it may be thought, some
upmapped, ground. Lawyers, / know,
are accused by the public of pioneering
the way by which capitalists have en-
tered into the profits and privileges OF
trusts.
Persons outside of the legal pro-
fession do not understand that the law
Is developed by stages of progression.
A law is enacted to take effect this
year Several years may pass. how
ever. before the law is fully defined by
the courts. Meanwhile, lawyers may
honestly strive to ascertain the mean