New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-21
President Wilson Opens
Annual Meeting of
Bar Association.
PEOPLE BACK OF
HIM, TAFT DECLARES
Root Advises Applying Rules OF
Evidence with More Regard
to Common Sense.
From The Tribune Bureau

Washington, Oct. 20.-President Will
son made an appeal for the use Of hu-
mainly as the keystone in the making
OF municipal laws in opening the an
nusl convention of the National Bar
Association in Memorial Continental
Hall to-day.
The Presidents distinguished audi
ence included ex-President Taft, mem
bers Of the Cabinet, the Chief Justice
and associate justices Of the Supreme
Court, judges and lawyers representing
every state in the Union and many
women, among them Mrs. William q.
McAdoo, the Presidents daughter. Ex-
President Taft introduced the Presi-
dent.
"There was time" President Will
son said, when the thoughtful eye OF
the Judge rested upon the changes
of social circumstances and almost pal
pably saw the law arise out of human
life. Have we got to a time when
the only way to change law is by
statute? The changing of law by
statute seems to me like mending a
garment with a patch; whereas, law
should grow by the life that is in 1t,
not by the life that is outside Of IT,"
The President declared that he was
rot venturing in the presence OF such
an audience to impesch the law be-
cause he said that by the present force
of circumstances he was in part the
very embodiment of the law and that
il would be very awkward OF him to
disavoW il.
"But | wish to make this intima-
ton" he said "that in this time of
world change, in this time when we are
going TO find out just how, in what
particulars and TO what extent the real
facts of human life and the real moral
judgments of mankind prevail, it is
worth while looking inside our munic-
ipal law and seeing whether the moral
judgments OF mankind are made square
with every one Of the judgments OF
the law itself.
Beauty of Human Spirit.
Public life. like private life. would
be very dull and dry matter If 1t
were not for this belief i'll the essen
tial beauty of the human spirit and
the belief that the human spirit could
be translated into action and into or
dinance."
Ex.President Taft declared in IN
PRODUCING President Wilson that the
American people were back or the
President in his handling of the inter
national situation and that he had the
confidence Of the people. Mr.. lal'
pledged the earnest cooperation OF the
association and said it had the deep
est confidence in the Presidents aoiIlty
and purpose to guide the ship OF state
safely through the troubled waters OF
the present international strife.
"Now that we are discussing com
pliance with treaties and the erect OIL
treaties of arbitration and OF peace
upon the chances of war IS IL not
GOOD time for us TO clean our own
house and put ourselves IN postum
where he can fulfil TO the letter every
treaty that we have entered INTO mr'
Taft asked, -
1--WE have had many treaties OF
friendship and peace--indeed, tresties
with all the world-in when we nave
assured 10 aliens, subjects or cltlzens
IF the other party to the treaty, resi-
dent within our borders, due process
of law in protection of life, liberty
and property," Mr.. Taft said. But
we now withhold, however, from the
same authority that makes the treaty
the power to fulfil its obligations. A
statute of A dozen lines would put into
the mower of the President to institute
judicial proceedings, civil and criminal,
in courts of the United States to pun
ish violation of the treaty rights OF
aliens and enable him to use the civil
and military executive arm OF the gov
eminent to protect against their
threatened invasion"
Recall Losing Ground.
The ex-President also said that
there was a distinct falling of IN the
support of a proposal for the recall OF
Judges and judicial decisions:
at would appear" Mr.. Tart said'
"that the party which fathered this
proposal now finds that instead OF
being the rock on which it is founded
it is, to change the metaphor, the rock
on which it founders"
Justice McReynolds spoke before the
judicial section. In urging the judges
10 become greater Affirmative forces in
the enforcement OF the law he said
DELAYS in courts frequently robbed
cases of the fruits of the decision: As
Attorney General, the justice said, he
started out with the idea that ne
would conduct the governments ousi-
ness as that of a private client. lie
soon found he was mistaken, ne de-
clared, and became convinced the thing
to do was to give the public fair idea
Of what he intended TO do and Ju-
dicious notion of what success was
being attained as he proceeded. In
some way, which he did not know, he
added, the judges must give to the
people an idea Of what they are seek
ing to accomplish, and how they are
succeeding.
Women Seek Membership.
The retiring council of the associa-
ton declined to-day to act on the mat
ter of admitting to membership in the
association three women whose names
were proposed, leaving the decision
with the new council, which was elect
ed tonight. The council consists OF
one member from each state and terri
tory.
The women proposed for membership
are the Misses Eva L. Bean, Maine;
Marion L. Tyler, Massachusetts,, and
Margaret C. Wish, Illinois.
To-night's session of the bar asso-
citation proper heard Senator Elihu
Root on THE Layman's Criticism of
the Lawyer" The speaker suggested
that lawyers should apply the rules OF
evidence with more regard to common
sense, and might well avail them
selves of expert assistance.
WHAT is GOING on TO-DAY.
Free admission TO the American Museum Of
Natural History Metropolitan Museum
OF Art New York Geological Park, Van
L-.-.la..at "a AflIsa.Ilr1 Ind The Aduar-