The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-23
Field Day Declared On Justioes
Of Suprene Court
PEEvED OVER Their OEcISI0IS
Rebellion Against Court Is Re-
suit Of III Feeling.
sReform Civil Code" Only Z
Flag Of Peace, IT'S Said.

That there IL trouble ahead TOR the
justices of the Kansas supreme court,
became known today when certain Of
the 100 lawyers who signed a call for
the bar meeting in Topeka July 8. adj
mitted that q few free and unrestrAined
opinions Of the judiciary might be exc
pressed at the meeting. The meeting -
really not to reform the civil CODE" a.
was claimed some days ago. but to II
possible reform the supreme court"
and induce that body to decide cases
according to precedent and facts and
legal citations
Just what may be said or done at the
doubt ard uncertainty. That there il to
be field day for banning; the
judiciary. il the claim Of men who are
apparently. IN touch with the situation.
For some time justices OF the supreme
court have known of the contemplated
meeting. But the gathering was not
called until an even one hundred law
yere had signed the call. Among the
lawyers who urged the meeting, are
the most widely known attorneys in the
state 1t is said that most Of these men
peka meeting before they signed the
petition.
The rebellion against the court has
long been brewing. But members Of
the bar have been loath to discuss in
pubic the tender sentiments that were
tons over one with another-but the
mutterings never got farther than the
private offices Of the unhappy and
worried lawyers. It was charged by
some that the supreme court threw
presidents to the winds in deciding
cases. that questions OF fact were lost
sight of. that the court walked right
by its own previous decisions in reach
ing q certain conclusion and offered
neither explanation nor apology. And
the lawyer who had searched the SUI
preme court reports and founded his
case on what to him appeared the Ger
tain holdings OF the court on Ques-
tons Of law and fact. smothered his
wrath az best he could.
Now the lawyers are coming to To-
peka to talk it over.
Not . Political Move.
That the attorneys who signed the
call Will take any action affecting the
reelection of the three associate JUS
tices--Mason. Smith and Benson
whose terms expire this year, il so
far denied. The criticism of the SUI
preme court and its action Is directed
against the entire body and not any
individual. it il claimed. p
Asked today regarding the conn
pAoAAt0 A8A11A8I~ Inc Court one 1AWY9E
said:
"They are too numerous to mention.
The principal complaint Il that the
court does not pay any attention to
precedents set by itself and. in some
cases, at least. does not pay much at
Iention to the facts. What The law
yers want IL for the court t., either
follow its own line Of decisions of the
past, or to explain why it upsets them.
Two decisions just opposite. on the
question and without any explanation,
keeps the lawyers up in the air."
Although 1t has been reported that
perhaps there may be q political mo-
tive behind the meeting of the lawyers
next month. none of the Justices Of the
supreme court today consented to an
interview regarding the meeting.
Chief Justice ". A. Johnston declined
to discuss the meeting or the attitude
of the supreme court regarding the
claims Of the lawyers. He said he did
not know whether he would attend the
in July. Associate Justice
Henry F. Mason also declined to talk
about the charges of the lawyers or to
state for publication his theory as to
the motive behind the CALL