The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-21
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

l It is a curious thing but through the
 years since left the active practice of law, in my subconsciousness the ''jeal-
 ous mistress" has exercised a strong in- i fluence
 It seems only yesterday that I was ad-
 mitted to the bar here in Birmingham and the scenes in the famous Hawes
 trial, in which I made by maiden speech, are fresh as when the trial was the sensation of the state. I can close my eyes and reproduce the great legal battle
 as it was fought out in the old Hood building
 The leading counsel were men of great | resources, for the late Jim Hawkins
 was marvel as a prosecutor. I have had experience since my debut here in 1889 in legal circles both in New York city and Atlanta, Ga, and as a lawyer, followed some of the noted criminal trials, but for prodigious memory and straight driving, have never seen Haw- kins surpassed as a solicitor. Then Col. E. T. Taliaferro was one of the most picturesque figures at this or any other bar His personality was com polling, and to see him in the trial of a case was to realize that you were wit messing past master in defense. Me was without reservation one of the great est advocates I nave ever heard in my llife.
 
 As most young men at the bar, l passed an apprenticeship in the trial Of criminal cases, but fortunately for nearly three years l was associated with Col onel Noble Smithson, one of the great est office lawyers in the south, who has made a name for himself at Knoxville, where he is now an honored member of the bar, not only as a careful pleader but as legal author of note.
 
 When the great boom was pricled and | it looked as if the bottom had dropped out of Birmingham, Smithson went to Chicago for several years, Taliaferro to New York, where he now lives, and later followed to the great eastern metropo- lis. count the year I put in as the head of department in one of the big Wall street law firms which made a speciality of handling estates one of the most val | uable in my life, for I got in touch with one of the highest type New Workers, who gave me a new vision of law not merely as science, or profession, but as a business.
 Now l freely confess that I never made any appreciable dent at the New York bar, but I did get fine training in being broken into the code system and in sec ing some of the greatest jurists in the land at work on the bench, and in hear ing some of the famous causes being tried before them. I soon saw that while I might rise to good paying position that so far as making name or, for. tune for myself that I was pocketed. sss
 Being born and reared in the south
 after my year was up I concluded to
 return to the Land of Dixie and went to Atlanta, Ga. where my cousin. Sam tel Barnett had already made a repu- tation as a lawyer, and he in cousinly way made a place for me and got shot at the practice as it obtains in the ! Empire State of the south. It was while a member of the Atlanta bar that met the lamented Hawthorne, and through
 him gave up law for the ministry. Ever since the days when I took a
 course in Roman law in Paris have had a fondness for the study of juris-
 pIudence and all during my ministerial career I have worked away on the great underlying principles which have made
 our English and American law what it is have however, specialized in my reading on constitutional and remedial law with the purpose of trying to ar- rive at true basis for the interpreta- tion of legislation from a state and na- tional standpoint
 One reason I sold the Alabama Baptist was that I wanted more time to study out some things for myself for I am convinced that the next 10 years are
 going to be fraught with issues of tre-
 mendous importance to every man, woman and child in the state. I have,
 therefore. re-entered the practice of law,
 not so much as a means of livelihood, but to keep in close touch with the courts and be in q position to more carefully follow the trend Of legislation. put in much time in Europe with an
 expert in studying sociology, and with my knowledge gained from personal con tact with the English, German. Austrian
 and French people. and having done first hand work in many of the Euro pean capitals, I want to try and mo- bilize it if possible and do my bit in
 helping to solve some of the peace prob lems which we must face fearlessly, but which we should treat soberly and thoughtfully.
 For years I have kept abreast of what is being done along the lines of social service in the various denominations and made a tour of the big eastern seaboard cities for the Ministers Conference of Atlanta making a personal investigation of everything being done by any one of the institutional churches. On this trip I gathered much data which I expected never gotten into print.
 | The churches are on the threshold of