The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-31

the State government was delivered by that election. So that Reporter Jones served 10 years under the regime of redemption. In the first four years he was not permitted to forget the vigor of the discipline maintained by his party. On one occa asion. the members of the court consented to appear In process sion of 'carpet-baggers' and negroes to celebrate July f. the sabbath day of freedom.' The members of the court, who rode in a carriage provided for them, in- Vited the court reporter to occupy a vacant seat He accepted because he was brave enough to challenge the mind or every democrat in the state. He was unable to admit that a ceiebra- ton Of the sabbath day of freedom" ny any congregation Of men whatsoever should debar a Democrat of Alabama. in her travail. from giving official counte- nance to the occasion. Twenty years later this bold act stood among the assets or his political rivals and no allegation charging incompetency in Major oJnes Tor political office in . white mans country was more relied upon than this Juiy ride in negro procession.
 Law Firms
 It does not appear that there was com fiict between the practice of the lawyer and the duty of the Court Reporter in the same person. But when the man was chosen to represent. in part, Montgomery county In the Leglslature of 1884 he re-
 tired rom the Reporters position He was again elected in fSss and then made epeaker
 The partnerships of MT Jones in tho practice of the law, beside that carly ono with Mir Hal T. Wanzer. were In tba nrm name and style of Rice. Chiffon N Jones; Fice, Jones & Wiley: Jones S raikner; Thos. G. and Chas P. Jones' the latter brother. Several of the firms were Tn the front ranks J,lyo Rice might possibly oe called mon fo divide the honors of the profession with MT. John A. Elmore but he was exempt rom challenge for position at the Ala nama Bar from any other source. Be sides he was most amiable and lowe able man. He assiste- Tn the reorgn ni- zation of the Democratic party at the State Convention in June. 1888 the f,rst atter the war. and canvassed the state for the national Democratic ticket. Seymour and Blair. but when General Grant de feated Seymour he changed politics and espoused the Republican side. He was Governor Smiths counsel when that nepunilcan governor. sn 1870. barricaded nlmseif In the executive chamber and rerused to surrender the office to Goven- pr-esect Lindsay Denpcrat. He was counsel for Ragland, republican secra- tary or State, in 1872, when W. w. Screws Democrat as State Printer. went into court to compel the Secretary to deliver to nm the state printing. He was counsel for united States when District Judge .Iobn bruce carpet-basger put in Jail In Mont somery certain of the county officers of champers County. There were other ser ious conflicts in the courts between ,ho opposing political forces In which .J,dge hice appeared as counsel on the Repub- lican side p"o-
 The incidents as they occurred pe0or seemed to disturb the political oonduct or ms partner at the bar Major Jones Nevertheiess. professional connection and ciose friendship with so great lawyer so often employed by a hateful and usurping political machine to strengthen US noid, naturally would place the youny partner, If an ordinary man. under tbe ban Of popular prejudice Only because the younger partner in the premises was an extraordinary man. superior to superficial influences, ne held himsa,e ever poised and true.
 Nature of Law Practice
 Major Jones commanded a very ,araa ana varied civil practice His name an pears more frequently perhaps in that iine or cases, that any other lawyer in .ne Aianama Supreme Court Reports. He appeared as counsel for many corner aIons' among them the Capital City ry.s, Wa.er Works company, the Western ohlon Telegraph company the Soutbarn hxpress company, the Standard oil com pahy. Ihe railroads often employed him Ihe Soupth and North and tbe Moh,,a ana Montgomery paid him retainers ua handled all that roads litigation of the LouIsVilie and Nashville Railroad com pany, ana for years he held the position of us state supreme court attorney ana Q i. such handled all that roads ,itiga ,,a, tnere. Besides the general practice in tba courts he probably, after the Hon T nyoh or Marengo, had the largest con sulting practice. When he was at the ba r Iew important cases were brought bv or asains. the city of Montgomery, the conn
 ol montgomery or the State that he u no. appear among the counsel He oonuucted cases often before the court over which he presided at the time os b,s uoa1i' ~ ana often argued before the Su- pie"e court of the United States.
 III. Favorite Studies
 iaVorlte branches Of study wera equity and constitutional law. Tn tba ,o. ter ne became so proficient that Col ne, :, r.eoy' himself great lawyer often % %ereu 10 Jones as among the sa fest eounseiors In that high field. The 1og,., or the civil law and the svsfem ar S. os = s'ce was intellectual nourishment bnt x. hao distaste for the criminal nras.,ns anu ueslred to avoid it. He representad nowever the appellants in the noted ca ss ,.-, or pen & Murray vs. the State Abou, .1t tnese men, who were defendants i,, .ne City Court of Montgomery. were con- v,c.ed or breaking into a house and pr,,y,s away certain goods. Justice brckeil, when the case was baeora sS ' Supreme Court rendered an opjnion s,s Juushheht olscharging the prisoners on ths sround Of former jeopardy" The co,,rt saia; We have been aided in our ins vesusaton Tn this case. and the imnort- an. ana delicate questions 1t involves h,, .ne eiaporate and exhaustive briefs or counsel for the appellants. crefits hle s,,,, . to tneir industry and discriminatio,, :, ,,.,'. unusuai commendation from the court ,e ,as. , resort was heartily indorsed bv tba,r brothers of the bar. 'S 'neir s.so lonei Jones also appeared for tba me a1xa .ne case of State vs. Stripling inc uant ttorn. nad been indicted for sell n.e ucAets or wager on a horse ra are occurring outside the St.te. ana ,, .lss Cly court of Montgomery he made ths. he So.Ht tnat the aot was unconstttutiona1 -L.I s was there sustained. The State ca ar- [,e, ~ ene case to the Supreme Court and ~o'onel Jones was engaged to arg,,a ths. ue'oustitutionality of the act and so con1 sc ncing was his argument that the co,rt .'s, neu the act constitutional The court,s Sra,,N Sr,n.on was written by Chief Justice Me- e'ln .., ana the bar phrases the case a n era. ns case" The decision proved of sreat interest in certain circles of Mo piies Montgomery ana r,irmincH.
 Alabama Bars Code of Ethics
 tha i,tss. nes wae liberal contributor to tne literature of the Alabama state Rer z-ssociation. of which he became an ca rIv member At the Mobile meeting os tha. body in 1881, he submitted . reror, ena.