The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-09-17
The Bar Rebukes Lands


Calamity has fallen on the nation.
condemnation over a federal judge and
Lit has consigned him to the fortunes
Of the nethermost pit. He has I'M
tdoubtedly committed an infamous
crime. He draws two salaries. The
government pays him for sitting on
the bench The baseball league pays
him as arbiter of sauabbles. So the
bar, that unselfish craft which cannot
tolerate special privilege. rebuxes him.
Congress is composed two thirds of
lawyers. They have never heard the
siren voice OF the lobbyist. They have
turned the stony and deaf ear to the
voice Of the tempter. The house. the
popular body largely composed of law
yers, stood steadfast in the interest of
popular liberty by depriving the peo-
pie OF the right to keep its front door
shut and to keep its automobile or its
suit case locked. The lawyers of the
house among whom Volstead is men,
toned as very able exponent of that
high calling, voted to protect the peo-
pie against itself by abolishing the
fourth amendemnt and razing the do
nestle hearth.
The test Of Judge Lands fitness for
his office is whether he does his work
with fidelity to the country and with
no respect for high authority of those
whose wealth and power enable them
to bully the masses. Judge Lands has
been a champion of the Masses. No
man can serve two masters. If the
judge is placed in a position where
he must choose between his public
duty and his duty to the baseball
league we may presume that he win
drop the ermine and become a private
citizen. All states provide for
change Of venue when the sentiment
in.a community has become so inflam-
ed that neither Judge nor jury may be
trusted. That assumes that situations
arise where the judgement of man
kind may be influenced.
Undoubtedly Judge Lands is the
subject of attack. He fined the stan
dard Oil Company so many millions
of dollars that had they paid the fine.
even they might have been hurt. But
that judgment was reversed. He con-
demned bank that had entrusted
boy with millions on a niggardly saIa-
ry when the boy stole their money.
The officers who shifted their respon-
sibility to the boy drew salaries which
they refused to have published in the
newspapers and which must be as
sumed to be too high for the public to
snow Therefore Judge Lands has
sinned miserably and the American |
Bar Association must and should Of |
right excoriate him
His first accuser a couple Of months |
ago was q congressman from the south |
who. in addition to his salary as a |
congressman, ran q bank and was in
terested in severl business enterprises
In fact there is scarcely a congressm Al |
who has not a large number Of bust /
ness enterprises fed on the publicity |
which their renown or notoriety as |
congressman enhances. Thus we find /
that the pot is calling the kettle black,
but the test viii remain whether the /
judge does his duty well and faithfully +
and can retain a clear vision while /
watching the mazes OF baseball poll |
tics and seeking to keep some of our
corporations from gobbling up the
good cid Z. S. A.
It would be q great accomplishment
for humanity If it could compel some 1
men who are capable OF doing it. to
10 double duty and not pay them for
It. Then some could loaf and not do f
thing at the expense of the double
worker. The lawyers do double duty
Ill the time and woe betide the hardy
individual who challenges their wage.
But Landis infringes on the perqui- Il
sltes Of re. craft because he flaunts
his shame. He publicly draws two Il
salaries but not from the public. some
# our officials have been knows to