The Washington herald., 1914-10-21
SENATOR ROOT SEVERE
ON LAW AND JUSTICE
CONTINUED From PAGE ONE.

as Attorney General have seen judges
delay and delay and I have become keen
Iy aware OF the evil that resulted.
Now, entering upon the work Of the
bench. and seeing far ahead along the
pathway before me, I have a keen reaii-
xation OF this duty, which believe to be
the highest duty Of the Judge, and as 1
enter upon my work. can only say
that IL do not fulfill my duties, 1 pray
that the people may forgive my short
comings
DeplOres Advertising Lawyer.
Concerning my second point as to
whether our Judges give sufficient at
tention to public opinion, I am reminded
dent In his address earlier today, The
opinion Of the world Is the mistress of
the world
Personally, / intensely dislike the at
titHde Of the advertising lawyer, he who
seeks to try his case in the public print
instead of before the courts. And when
I was Attorney General I sought to try
my cases for the government in court
and not in the press, just as / would
have done for a private client.
But I found II would not do.
learned that the government officer must
take the people into his confidence to
q certain extent And the Judge is
government officer.
THE Judge should take greater pains
to let the public know and understand
what is going on in the courts. To make
the people understand the Judge must
take them into his confidence. am
firmly OF the opinion that when the
judges do confide more in the people and
the people gain a better understanding
that the judges will be more strongly
intrenched in the esteem Of the people.
Public opinion is a controlling force and
it must be reckoned with as such"
Address of President Wilson.
The address Of President Wilson at
the morning session was. in part as fol-
lows:
"Our first, thought, suppose. is OF in
ternational law, those bonds which draw
nations together and hold the commu-
nifty of the world to some standards Of
action.
The opinion Of the world is the mis-
tress Of the world. What impresses me
il the constant thought that that is the
tribunal at the bar at which We all sit.
does not observe the ordinary rules Of
evidence. Everything, rumor included, Is
heard in this court, and the standard OF
Judgment is not with regard to the
character OF the testimony, but the char
acter of the witness. The motives are
disclosed. the purposes are contectured'
and that opinion is finally accepted which
seems to be not the best founded in law
perhaps. but the best founded in integ-
rity Of character and OF morals.
IF you can establish your character
you can establish your credit
What I wanted to suggest Is whether
We sufficiently apply these same ideas 10
the body Of municipal law which We seek
to administer. Citations seem to play 80
much larger a role now than principle.
1 should hate TO think that the law was
based entirely upon has-beens.' Un-
me. gentlemen, I am not ven
turing to impeach the law.
But do wish to make this intlmatIon.
that It. is worth while looking inside our
law and seeing whether the
moral judgments OF mankind are made
square with every one OF the judgments
OF the law itself.
My hope is that being stirred to the
depths by the extraordinary circum-
stances OF the times, We may recover
Of a renewal Of that vision OF
the law with which man may be sup
posed to have started out In the old days
Of the oracles, who communed with the |
Intimations Of divinity"
Former President Taft delivered an ad- !
dress touching upon the treaty phases |
and neutrality involved in the war in Eu- |
rope. declared that the movement for the !
recall of judges Is losing force, and |
the antitrust legislation Of this |
We are the principal nation not so |
related to the war that both sides may |
really regard US as disinterested friends"
said Mr.. Taft. 1T is our highest duty, |
and President Wilson makes plain his |
appreciation of this. not to destroy |
e.
ton, by ill-advised and premature judg-
nents. We must hold our tongues to be
useful to mankind"
Declaring that this nation should profit
by charges and counter charges Of
treaty violations being made in Europe,
Mr.. Taft said: Now is the time to
put ourselves in a position where we can
'ulfill to the letter every treaty We have
entered into. We have made treaties
n which We have assured to aliens with
n our borders due process Of law in pro-
ection Of life and property. But we now
withhold from the same authority that
makes the treaty the power TO fulfill its
obligations. A statute Of a dozen lines
would put It into the power of the Presi-
lent to institute judicial proceedings to
punish a violation Of treaty rights OF
lliens.''
Speaking Of the recall of judges move
nent, Mr.. Taft said the proposal was
included in the platform of the Progress
live party, whose leader felt called
lpon to declare the proposal was the
ock upon which the party was founded.
[ would appear, instead. the proposal
s the rock upon which the party found
RS. Certainly il seems wise to the
'arty's leaders to ignore this part of
heir original propaganda, an indication
hat 1t has ceased to be vote-getting and
5 burden to any party that assumes
o press it."
Referring to the trade commission and
layton acts, Mr.. Taft said: In SO far
8 the field OF general interstate trade
) within the practical range Of regula-
Ion 1t seems the machinery adopted is
s effective as any could be-"
The members OF the association will
'isit Noun. Vernon this afternoon as
he guests OF the District bar. At Mount
'ernon the visitors will be received by !
committee representing the Virginia
lar Association. composed Of r. Walton
doore, chairman; Judge l. L. Lewis, Of
richmond; Judge ]. K. NJ, Norton. of
Llexandriai r. B. TunstalI, OF Norfolk,
nj E. Hilton Jackson. Of Fairfax. An
ddress OF welcome will be delivered by |
ormer Gov Montague, Of Virginia Mr..
aft will respond as president of the
ssoclation.