Evening star., 1930-06-08
BY GEORGE WHARTON PEPPER,
Former United States Senator from
Pennsylvania.

ri DON'T see any reason why
- shouldn't appoint this man."
President Coolidge was think
i ing aloud when he said this.
He had been Chief Executive
for only few months. The oil scam
dals had furnished his political an
tagonists a weapon with which they
hoped to destroy both him and his
party. There was only one way in
which to parry their hostile thrusts.
and that was to proceed in methodical
fashion in the courts to press with both
vigor and sincerity the claims of the
United States in the oil cases.
For this service an able, upright and
fearless advocate was needed. Several
such had been proposed, but suspicious
Senators had rejected them. The serv-
ice of special counsel Of two was con-
templated-a Democrat and Republi-
can. In Senator Pomerene there had
quickly been found an acceptable rep
resentative Of the minority party. His
nomination was confirmed by a vote of
SO to 13. What was wanted was Re-
publican who was not only conspicuous
ly fit, but certain to withstand the fire
test of senatorial scrutiny. Something
like crisis in the fortunes Of the new
administration had been reached. The
man of the hour had not yet appeared.
Any one who knew Owen j. Roberts
well naturally thought of him at once
in this emergency. He had the requisite
character and capacity, and he had an
unusual range OF experience at the bar
Born in Philadelphia in 1875, he had
reached the time of life when unim-
paired Vigor is tempered by matured
experience. Sprung from Welsh stock
he had inherited rugged health and
compelling virility. He had been
brought up by God-fearing people and
was a man of wholesome religious con-
viction and exemplary personal life.
Educational Background Good.
His educational background was good.
Germantown Academy is a school which
has the reputation of laying firm
foundations for life. The College Of
the University of Pennsylvania still
preserves the democratic spirit breathed
into 1t by Benjamin Franklin. The law
department of the same institution has
always ranked high in the roster of
American law schools. Roberts had
given a good account of himself at every
stage of his educational progress
| through these institutions. Soon after
| his graduation from the law school he
| was appointed to a position on the
teaching staff and later became a pro-
fessor of law. AS a teacher he at
tanned marked popularity He was not
of the sort that talks endlessly while
! the class sits inert. He made his
students think and stimulated them to
self elf-development.
| Meanwhile, he was increasingly ac-
tive in the practice of the law. It was
a sad day for America when lawyers
began so to direct their efforts that
practice in the criminal courts became
an exclusive speciality. 1t had been a
useful thing for the civil practitioner
to have the tense experience of life
and-death struggles in the criminal
court room. 1t had also been a whole
some thing for the man who tried
criminal cases to be engaged in prac-
tice which took him out of the atmos-
phere of crime and gave him frequent
contacts with the normal.
Roberts was fortunate in having ar
opportunity to practice in both forums
He was made q special assistant to the
district attorney Of Philadelphia Coun.
| ty, whose function Is that of public
, prosecutor. Roberts was assigned Il
the trial oftthe more important kind q