The Washington herald., 1916-01-23

Win haJesiy 30 Juugess representing tne id"b
ought to be surrounded with dignity greater than
men accord to- ordinary
Many people agree. The only trouble is that
it's SO hard to make man anything better than
man, or better than what he is inside.
Here am reminded of an experience / had as
a boy. l was unaware of the divinity that doth
hedge judge. One day | happened to walk into
a courtroom. 1t was big room. At the further
end there small group of standing in
front of an old gentleman who occupied desk
on platform.
forgot to take off my hat. OF course ought
not to have forgotten. Never shall forget the
excitement l created. Several people shouted to
me at once in tones of horror 1t if
had committed crime. "The judgel The judgeT
heard the words exclaimed in reverential whis-
pers Two tough looking figures who were enter
ing behind showed that they fearfully
shocked. They acted as If they wished to tear the
hat off my head
Then realized what wonderful beings judges
were Since that time' they have had intense
interest for me. To this day l enjoy seeing a
judge make splendid entry into court particularly
when he is wearing robe.
Sometimes wonder what effect such reverence
has on the character of judges It's hard thing
for most human beings to endure reverence or
adulation in any form. | have men go al
most crazy after receiving just a little aduaton.
Who hasn't?
know perfectly we'll there Ae judges who are
superior to adulaton. How do you suppose they
compare in numbers with those who arc not?
There is a distinguished Judge who has ac-
quired second distinction as a writer. l was
once presented to him at gathering Of literary
folk He stared at me with a look that seemed
to challenge my right to the honor of meeting
water in my face. Instantly turned away to
seek warmer atmosphere
Afterward wondered if I had not been hasty
and done the great man a wrong. l told lawyer
friend of the incident. "Its curious about him, -
my friend said. "In the courtroom, while he is
discussing business with the lawyers, he is graci-
Gus, even affable. But the moment he leaves the
courtroom he seems to turn to stone. The very
men he speaking with few moments before
he will pass without nod of recognition.
The dignity of the judge be overdone.
Nevertheless it must be fine thing to be
Judge.
Is there really any position in > the world
higher than that of Judge. whether small or
great1
There is judge in New York State who has
acquired a wide reputation for dignity. Even
among judges he shines. He has much
ence for himself as judge that his friends say he
stands apart and looks at himself with Every
thing he does and the way he does everything is
related to his being Judge He has acquired the
bearing and the deep utterance of tragic actor.
Sometimes I wonder how much humanity is left
in him. For an artificial attitude unquestionably
tends to draw away from what is really human
in life Worst of all, it tends to isolate one from
wide human sympathy.
Another judge of my acquaintance used to look
upon himself the appointed scourge of Of
tenders. He was a terror. He took pride in his
reputation as such. But he has aged he has
grown less severe He has discovered the terribly
upsettng truth that the of crime often lie
outside OF the people who commit crime, that the
real guilt may belong to parents of the accused
or to others who lived long before the parents,
now far out of the reach of human law, per-
haps, to the rich to society at large, far out
of reach. Then, too. in his life he has suffered,
through death and other tribulations. There is
nothing like suffering for making human beings
realize the futility of distinctions.
If all men grew more lenent with age it might
be good plan for us to insist that no one should
be Judge till he reached 90.
Sometimes l wonder how the New Humanity
is going to affect judges. Already there are signs
that it is reaching them, just it is reaching all
other kinds of people.
Welcome to Harvard
Coupled with Harvard's announcement of
the selection of its appontee for the exchange pro-
fessorshp at the Sorbonne during the next aca-
demic year, comes the welcome news that by next