The Jones County news., 1922-12-05
LET LAW GO TOh HE'LL
AID STUDY JUDGES"
Daniels in Dearborn lnde-
pendent Hits Nail on Head
in Many Cases!

On the sixteenth day of September,
1893, the "Cherokee Strip" was open
ed to settlement and became q part
Of the territory Of Oklahoma. Gov
ernor Renfrow appointed nc county
attorney Of ~ tnow Grant, County
and the duty Of organizing the new
county fell upon the appointed Of
tcers.
The day Of ''the run" (as the open
ng day is referred TO by cold
.mers') was an epoch in the livcs
Sf thousands who looked with longing
eyes 70 the opening Of the strip
their opportunity to obtain home.
As it was my desire to do gen
eral practice, in addition to perform.
ing the duties Of county attorney, my
"shingle" as attorney az Law was
hung against the wall Of the tent that
furnished a place Of abode, as well
as an office for the transaction O..
business, and was sometimes used as
q Jail where prisoners were chained
up to the tent pole TO await trial.
Shortly after the "opening" mai
came in my tent office and retained
me to represent him in q suit. The
right Of possession was involved to
quarter section Of land which both
parties claimed the preference rlgh.
to enter and acquire title to, and this
tight of possession was being CON
tested in an Injunction suit. The at
torneys representing both sides
went before the Judge Of The district.
who decided against my client. I
thercupon advised him TO "manouver
around" until he got in the position
Of his opponent. This he did, and
we went before The same judge up.
on the same state Of facts, with the
anne parties and the same lawyers
but with positions reversed. The
Judge, not to be outdone, promptly
reversed himself, and decided against
my client a second time.
Judges Havs More Power Than
CongfYss /.
| Recognizing the autocratic powe
Of The Judge to WELD the nigh
stick' Of contempt proceedings,
asked If court was adjourned, an
stated that if court was not in ses
ion ! wanted TO ask a question. Tn
Judge said court was not in session
aid asked him to please tell me hoy
4 lawyer could advise client in hi
jurisdicticn when he reversed hmsel
n The same question upon the sam
state Of facts, between the same par
lies in less than 80 days.
His answer was not very satisfac
tory, and the attorney Representing
the other party said to me as VI
walked out--"There is one thing yol
must learn in this western country
let law 20 to hell and study judges"
During the nearly quarter Of
century that has elapsed since thi
advice was given me, ! have foun
that the application Of the advice
not confined by territorial limits, bu
tnat the study of judges is as necel
lary in the East as it was in tn
West, and that 1t is Of far more prn,
teal importance than the study q
law.
Someone has said, "Let me writ
the songs Of a nation and care nc
who makes its laws" A wise new,
paper man has said, "Let me writ
the headlines Of newspaper and
care not what you put under them.
But those who name the judges q
the nation exert more power TIM
does Congress and all the state les
islators combined. Congress and III
state legislature may pass the law
but the judges determine and linn
their scope and effect, and oftc
emasculate and change them, 10 ths
the lawmakers would not recogniz
their own handiwork.
Judges "legislate" under the can
outage of Interpretation" upo
most every proposition that vital
affects the public.
The bench, in my opinion, contain
the good and the bad--the good b
far outnumbering the bad. There ar
remarkably few judges who are eth
er corrupt or dishonest, and the yer
few who are corrupt or dishones
are eventually correctly appraise
/ by the people and accorded the sir
eere contempt they richly merit.
a lawyer, in court, who had bee
treated with the grossest discourtes
by the presiding judge, started t
walk out Of court, when the judg
rallied out at him and said-"Do yol
mean TO show your contempt for thi
court " The lawyer politely replie
mo, your Honor, 7 am going ou
to keep from showing it," There ar
times when a retire from court is tn
part q wisdom and a way Of refuge
&C. G. Daniels in Dearborn Indepen
dent.
cnta and friends.
Mrs. w. S. Glenn is slowly improy
ing much to the delight Of her nu