The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-02
CENTENNIAL OF THE SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA

lego. parties had to welt a considerable | time for decision. seldom less than,
 a year, sometimes several years. Now,
 the average case is decided by the su- preme court within a few months after | the submission of the cause it being | the exception when there is a delay of
 a year, and with the cooperation and | assistance of the bar there is no reason why the work canont be more expedi- l ious and at the same time receive
 more general consideration by the court.
 When counsel begin to attach less importance to practice and procedure ] han to the main meritorious legal questions involved in their cases and narrow the issues and present same by | oral argument. the court can fre- qucntly decide the ease immediately and prepare the opiIion afterwards, thus making 1t the decision and opin- 1 ion of the court rather than what IS
 sometimes termed a cnejudge opinion. MASTER JUDICIAL MIND While We all look upon Marshall and Fancy as the great opponents of our constitution and laws during the for tnative period of our government, and without intending to Ietract from their fame in the slightest I believe that a close consideration by an unbiased law yer of the opinions of our present Chief Justice White will convince that his is Che master judicial mind of | America. past and present.
 Again, l do not think that the man. tie of Wirt, Black, Brewster, Garland
 and Olney could have fallen upon a, more worthy and capable man than | our present Attorney General A. Nit. chell Palmer. He has handled our judicial department at this critical time with such frmness and ability as 70 demonstrate that ne is not only the | peer of any man who ever occupied that exalted office. but is big and broad enough for any office within the gift 1 of the American people.
 CONCLUSION
 l And now, gentlemen of this associa- tion, speaking for the court. although our duties are not the same, but in | many respects variant ana governed | by different rules of action, yet they are in the same field. and we are all ] bound, or should be bound, by the great unchanging and unchangeable code of morals, one of the precepts of which code, by way of eminence. has obtained the name of the "Gol6en Rule" l The duties of the court are so ad- mirahly described by Sir Edward Coke 1 in his Epilogue to the fourth part of his Institutes" in which he ad- dresses the judges and justices of the Realm of England, that l beg leave to | read them in his own quaint words. He says: And you. honorable and reverend judges and justices. that do. l or shall, sit in the high tribunals and courts and seats of justice, fear not ] to do right at all, and to deliver your opinion justly, according to the laws; | for fear is nothing but a betraying | of the succors that reason should af- hal gip al.r cute justice, be assured -- of three things: First. though some may ma | lgn you, yet God will give you His blessing; secondly. that though there- | by you may offend great men and favorites. yet you shall have the fa- vorable kindness of the Almighty and | be His favorites; and lastly, that in so doing against all seandalous com plaints and pragmatcal devices against you, God will defend you as with a shield"
 With such advice and instructions
 to guide and direct us, if honestly pur-
 sued and followed, there need be lit- | tie fear of falling into many or grave | errors.
 Mir. Justice Blackstone speaks of our
 profession as highly honorable; and It has ever been distinguished for the | talents, learning, and courteous man.
 ners of it's members. Among those now in the merdian of professional l life as well as those just entering upon | it. how does the heart swell with vir- l tuous emula ton at the mention of such names as the Walkers Houston, Pryor. McClung the Smiths. Hamiltons, Yam cey. Watts, Tompkins, Percy, and a bright cloud of names that cannot | here be mentioned. if not in every re- spect equally worthy of admiration, not of tn eprofession only, but of all good and great men.
 With such reflections as these to stir up in us a just and noble ambi- tion, let us enter upon the new cen tury with true and earnest desire, with the blessing of a good Provi- dence, not only to merit and secure the good opinion of our fellow men, but also the approval of our own con- science.