Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-06-05
WE HAVE SHARE IN THIS

WE HAVE SHARE IN THIS
A report from Philadelphia is to
the effect that group of men
caught at gambling resort were
taken before a magistrate and order
ed held for further hearing: that
another magistrate obtained the re-
lease of the prisoners; that now it
is found they gave fictitious names
and have gone scot free.
Tradition has something to say
about "a Philadelphia lawyer.
What sort of tradition is there to
be respecting a Philadelphia magfs-
trate? Neither does the news report
any effort to secure the kind of
magistrate, who wouldn't be impli-
Gated in such a proceeding. The
police, 1t is said. performed their
duty properly. yet the police of most
cities are supposed to be more init
nlately affected by political chican-
cry than are most of the authorities.
Here would seem to be an instance,
at least, where they are not. In
deed, there are good grounds for
supposing the police Of most cities
superior in honesty and regard for
their obligations than are some of
those above them. If there is graft
to be had those above the police
have hand out for It and the
policemans share is likely to be
small.
Not only do We not provide
enough courts in many instances to
do the work but we occasionally
seem to be Indifferent as to the
quality of the courts. These are
composed of human material and are
not above the need of intelligent
watchfulness, generally speaking.
Not only are we slow in appre-
hending criminals, slow In trying
them and slowest of all in bringing
them to penalty, but we permit our
attention to be diverted by one
cure-all or another from the perfect
ly obvious things that need to be
done first catch the criminal and
treat him justly without unnecessary
delay.
Dean Round tells us, and he GER
taIllly speaks with authority and
\ should know what he Is talking
the judicial and administrative ma
chinery and makes them less eff
fective for their purpose" lie is
advocating the need of legal research
to find what's what in law. Bust
ness finds legal advice Is needed at
every turn to enable 1t to thread the
maze. "One field of research" he
describes as, 1.-The functioning OF our
law with respect to the needs of
modern business organization; the
our legal doctrines, our modes of
finding and applying legal precepts.
our judicial organization. and our
administration Of justice to the
modern system of production and
distribution which has arisen since
olr legal apparatus was devised and
has given us business institutions
new to legal thought and out of line
with traditional legal ideas"
1t is quite evident that consider
able is wrong with our legal meth
DDS of getting at the justice and the
equity so essential to society's we'll
being in this country. We may, as
a people, be improving in our NOR
ais: there may be little to the talk
about crime waves but we find no
assurance from the conclusion there
Is no crime wave, because by COM
parison with other civilized coun-
tries de learn that our criminal
status appears very unfavorably.
selves afflicted by a crime wave than
to conclude that certain kinds OF
criminality. homicide. for instance,
are symptoms of chronic condition.
Dean Pound calls for legal re-
search. He should be encouraged.
Governments are assigning crime
commissions to the study Of criminal
conditions. We should be insistent
that these be not used as sedatives
to our apprehensions. Efforts are
being made to divorce from political
chicanery the administration of law:
here we have a responsibility which
we cannot pass on to any commits
sion. It confronts us every time we
80 to the ballot box, it should
weigh in our consideration every
time we choose our representative to
90 our law making. 1T is within our
power to determine whether our Law
enforcers are doing their duty and
to protect them in 1t, to defend them
against the Vaccinations Of those
seeking their places for personal or
political profit. o, yes. we have a
share in the big job of making our
enforcement fit the crime.
To-