The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-09-02
Coutt Reforms.

that may follow the suggestions de-
bated At the recent meeting Of the
American Bar association there
must be no interference with the
rights Of the poor man to get equal
justice with the rich according to
editors who are studying the mat
ter. Early approval Of the various
suggestions made has been followed
by a serious discussion whether
they do not, after all. make for the
application Of / sort OF lynch
Law" to court proceedings. Editors
argue that extreme care must be
taken to see that speed that does
not mean injustice and that what
ever changes are made shall be to
remedy only conditions that prop
erly are complained Of.
1.-THE common sense of the mat
ter" the Newark News believes, lis
that the more We can do to set the
Judge and the jury, each in his own
sphere, free to do with the cases
according to the common sense OF
it, the quicker and cheaper we are
going to get justice, the more JUS
tice we are going to get, and the
less chance there is OF winning the
case by the ability OF money to
wear out comparative poverty"
Any suggestion that will interfere
with reasonable appeals also
should be frowned upon by most
people, the Brooklyn Eagle is GER
tain, because "the privilege Of hav-
ing a case passed on by the trib-
unal of last resort is earnestly
priced by Americans and to make
that privilege doubtful, uncertain,
subject to refusal, is questionable
policy" There is little doubt that
the morals of this country are bet
ter than in any other large coun-
try" the Worcester Gazette says,
but perhaps a little more speeding
up by the courts and more drastic
sentences, vigorously applied,
would be effective as preventive
| Of crime"
Lawyers and courts themselves
I, have much to answer for, the
!, Cleveland News thinks and hope
Of improvement is not generally
fostered by the corrective means
considered. How could confidence
in the courts be created by any
amount of glittering generalities if
the front page continued to record
concrete facts such as the Ohio
supreme court decision in the case
of Big Jim Norton" While there
seems to be plenty of laws now to
cope with all existing situations
the Allentown Call is willing to ad-
init that another law designed to
protect human life would not I'M
duly clutter up the statute books
and might bring about better con-
ditions." Not only is that so but
inasmuch as "our Ncrime record is
the worst in the world" the Itha-
ca Journal News argues that 1--WE
should have nowhere near as much
crime if justice was administered
as speedily and efficiently as in the
=, British courts"
But in improving the legal ma,
chinery there is an absolute neces.
sity, in the opinion of the Minneap.
oils Journal, that there should be
no ground to feel that the little
criminal does not have as good q
chance for justice as the big Grim.
inal This applies to matters OF
parole and reprieve as we'll as tt
hearings and defense" The Phila
delphia Bulletin believes that with
a commission ito prepare uniform
code of procedure, and with the ere
alton of an authority to see thai
these simplified rules are observed
there is a chance at least that the
judiciary may be infused with new
courage and the members of the
bar with higher and more con.
sistent and practical realization o.
the spirit of the code of honor tt
which they have subscribed" There
already has been too much discus
sion, the Washington Post think:
and now something tangible is al
hand the American Bar association
should spaA no effort to speed it.
work to finality of practical oper
alton" But there should be no in
reference whatever with the Su
preme court because as the Day
ton News deliberately points out
Congress has all the power tina
the Constitution intended it shoult
have It would like to have more
II the Supreme court could be mad
more obedient to the Legislative
body the circumstance would fill
many a reactionary senator's hear
with joy. He would feel that, a
least, the hour Of complete triumph
;. was at hand"
Great care must be taken in plan
ming any changes, the HARTFORD
Times says, even though "ther,
are problems enough in our court
to make complete revision of pro
cedure at least worthy of contem
plation by those qualified to con
template" In addition the New
J York Post points out that "lega
reform would be appreciably hast
ened by the more general exercis
of common sense and more com
jpelling ethics in the profession.
Behind the movement for legal re
form. however, is realization Of
danger in the movement "for &C
acknowledgement Of the right Of tn
masses to overthrow at will tn
; decisions of the courts" the Bos
ton Christian Science Monitor i
convinced and ut would be impru
dent and unwise to regard thes
! attacks as the mere expression o
discomfort. They represent the ef
forts Of an organized army Of pro
pagAndisfa tn faach dofianco an