The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-12-25

OF a political motive or any motive
other than that Of pure Justice and
clea- reason.
British by Birth.
Senator Sutherland Is British By birth.
When he was few months old he was
brought to Utah. His father was
mining man who later. by virtue Of
qualities OF hclpfulncss toward his
neighbors and common scnse, came TO
be accepted, in the irregular way OF
frontier communities, rs the law giver
of the little towns where his occupa-
ton took him.
Senator Sutherland himself was
trained in the law at the University OF
Michigan, and began MS practice IN
these same frontier communities, where
law was accepted and obeycd, not oo-
cause 1t was printed In the books, but
because 1t appealed to the common
sense and instinct for justice and for the
right Of the strong mon who made up
those communities. In those courts a
lawyer could not win his cases by mere
~ quoting legal maXims; he had TO go
further and convince the rough common
sense OF the community that these max
inns arc merely the ancient crySAlliBa-
lions OF fundamental justice In human
relations. 1t IS noteworthy that num-
Der OF tho best lawyers in the Senate
hare come UP from this kind or training
--llSl1OcTu.S line senator W'llSn OF AdOU-
tana and Senator Thomas Of Utah. and
Republicans like Borah of Idaho as well
as Sutherland.
Later in his career Senator Sutherland
became leading attorney at Salt Lake
City, and az such was counsel for the
Union Pacific and the Oregon Short
Line. He participated in writing the
constitution and fundamental laws Of
his state At the time IL was admitted TO
, the Union. Still later he served term
in congress, and came to the senate in
1905.
The high spots Of his career in the
senate were the laborious work OF
committee. of which he WAS the head.
which reviewed condensed. and brought
up to date and codified the entire body
OF civil and criminal statutes passed by
the National government since it's be-
ginning. Almost any lawyer would nd-
NIT that, other things being equal. this
colossal work alone would make
/. unique fitness for the office OF attorney
general
Champion Of Seaman's Act
Senator Sutherland was also chairman
OF the committee that wrote tho Federal
Workmcns Compensation Law. which
has been model for half the states OF
the Union. Finally. in way probably
not less important, tho help Senator
Sutherland gave 10 Senator La Toilette
in the passing Of the Seaman's Act was
one Of the high spots in his career in
the Senate. The passage of the Sea-
mans Act was one of the greatest VIC
tories OF recent years for humanitarian
principles OF human freedom as against
the convenience OF property interests.
Senator Sutherland had always been
thought Of as belonging 10 the conserva-
tive rather than the progressive wing OF
tho Republican party and when he was
quick to see the application of the fun
damcntal principles OF Anglo-SaNon law
to the circumstances presented by tho
Seamens Act, tho enlistment Of his ad-
rocaCy made friends for the act among
conservatives who had confidence in him
and who could not otherwise have won.
II Is probably because OF this incident
that the Sramens Union Is now ono OF
Senator Suthcrland's clients. Probably
II accounts for the fact that among the
men you occasionally meet IN the ante
room OF Senator Su,herland's law office
Is that venerable mariner, Andrew Furu-
seth. one Of the unique figures OF his
generation, who went 10 sea before he