The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1916-02-02
Something About Brandcis.

Brandeis was prominently mentioned
for the attorney gcneralship. 1t was
said, too, that the determined fight
upon this brilliant lawyer caused his
name to be dropped. From some sourc-
es came the statement, which, Of
course, was guess, that the senate
would not confirm the appointment of
Brandcis, in case it was made. The
Boston lawyer had been so variously
aligned, and had given Won't to some
such unusual opinions, that many
feared him.
Now however, the President has
selected this man for a place high
er than cabinet position. Will the
senate confirm him? That question
is being asked in some quarters. The
chances are that Mr.. Brandeis will
be confirmed. 1t is not to be thought
that the President would make such a
mistake as selecting a man whom
the senate would not confirm. That
would be a slap in the face which
no president could afford to brave.
Mr. Brandeis is a unique figure, in
some respects. He has never held
great public office, yet he is better
known than many men who have and
do hold public offices. His reputation
as a brilliant lawyer has gone abroad
throughout the land. His intellectual
power is not gainsaid anywhere. The
opposition, such as it is, arises from
his affiliations and his convictions. The
first spectacular feat OF Mr.. Brandcs
was in connection with the BallnnScr-
Pinchot controversy, whore he skill
fully engineered what turned out to be
the right side Of the fight. At another
time he settled a controversy over the
price OF gas in Boston. In this con-
test lie displayed peculiar genius. lie
was instrumental in the adjustment Of
certain industrial insurance matters.
He concluded that the masses Of pco-
pic paying for the insurance in qucs-
ton, were not getting their due con-
sidcration. From this conclusion he
worked to settlement Of the per-
picking problem. 1t is estimated that
the saving TO wage carners. as a re-
suit of the settlement is between
$iJ,000,000 and $20,000,00O annually.
Mr.. Brandcis is known, too, in conncc-
tiCn with certain tcn-hour laws in
Oregon and Illinois. He was prime
factor in the settlement OF the famous
garment workers strike in New York,
during the year 1910.
He has written largely and is re-
gardcd as an authority on public
franchise, life insurance, wage earn
ors insurance, scientific management,
labor problems and the trust question.
He also has been at the forefront of
the Zionist movement in the United
States and will be the first Jew to sit
on the bench Of the Supreme Court.
In the seventies the attraction of
the law brought to the Harvard Law
School Mr.. Brandeis, born at Louis
vile in 1856, and educated in its
for he had received his academic train
ing in German Real Schulz. Young
Brandeis was Of German-JewiSh O-i-
gin. proud of grand parents who had
the deep rcligiosity of their race and
Of parents who were ethical minded
rather than religious. His prccoslty
was such that he stood high in his law
school work and graduated with hon
orS at twenty, the rules regarding age
being suspended to give him his de-
gree. Five years later he became lee
School, and before the year was over
he was offered an assistant professor
ship when Prof. Oliver Wendell
Holmes retired to become judge of the
Supreme Court of Massachusetts,.
In the law reviews OF the eighties
one finds contributions bearing the
name or initials OF l.. d. Brandeis. He
was making his mark professionally.
He had associated himself in practice
with the late Samuel y. Warron, the
man to whom Boston owes, among
other things, the adoption Of it's uni
que plan Of Museum Of Fine Arts with
the deadly museum fratigue eliminat-
ed The association between these
two graduates Of the Harvard Law
School continued down to Mr.. War
ren's death, although the partnership
was dissolved in 1889 when Mr.. War
great paper mandatory established