Evening star., 1932-04-03
BAR HEARS JUSTICE GRONER
HIT FEDERAL CENTR REALIZATION
Authority Extending Into
Every Field, D. C. As
sociation Warned.
TabIeau Representing Spirit
of '76 a Feature of An
nuaI Dinner.

A note OF warning regarding the con-
tinued trend toward Capitalization Of
government in the United States was
struck by Associate Justice D. Lawrence
Groner in an address last night before
the District of Columbia Bar Associa-
ton at its annual dinner in compliment
to the justices Of the Court of Appeals
and Supreme Court of the District oi
Columbia at the Mayflower Hotel
Speaking of the changes of point o1
view on the part of the people and po-
litical parties, he said that in the last
quarter of a century the Government OF
the United States, which had formerly
confined its activities to foreign affairs
and protection of the country's borders
IT'S currency and post Offices had now
extended its authority into every sec
ton and into every field. AS a result
he said. there is an increasing army OF
officeholderS, spread through the whole
country and a situation is now develop
ing In the United States akin to that
denounced by Sir John Culpeper in his
arraignment of the misgovernment of
Charles I, where speaking of the agen-
cies of that government Culpeper said:
They sup in our cup and dip in our
dish and sit by our fires and, like tbs
frogs of Egypt, they have got possession
Of our dwellings and we have scarcely
room left for them"
Gradual Spread of Laws.
He instanced the power now exercised
in the absolute control of commerce
| through the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, indicating that many thought
full people, looking into the future, saw
the ownership of these instrumentan-
ties, the railroads, by the Government
as inevitable; business and manufacture
through the Federal Trade Commission;
the money Of the country through the
banking act, and he referred briefly to
other recent legislation seeking to con-
troll the narcotic evil, the white slave
commerce, the larceny of interstate
packages and automobiles, and num-
Der OF other similar laws as illustrating
the extent to which the Federal Gov
ernment had gone and the surrender
of duties and rights which the States
had formerly discharged.
All of these things he said indicated
tendency to increase and grow, and
while much II not all of the legislation
which he mentioned was necessary and
proper, and while no one, he said, would
dispute the proposition that the implied
powers granted under the Constitution
to the Federal Government should, in
the advance of civilization be extended
far beyond the dream of the makers
Of the Constitution, that the danger In
the tendency grew out of the fact that
each advance step tended to make the
next advance step the easier until, un-
less checked, the balance provided In
hot to
and Federal Governments would be
wholly lost, and the dual system of gov
ernment, which through home rule had
had so much to do in creating internal
harmony and progress would be totally
destroyed.
Flags in Decorations.
The ball room of the Mayfiower Hotel
was decorated with the national colors
and State flags. At each table in lieu
of flowers small American flags formed
the decorative feature. The program
and the decorations were devised as
part of the general scheme for the
celebration by the lawyers of the Wash
ington Bicentennial.
Frank j. Hogan, president Of the Bar
Association, who presided as toast
ter was introduced by Joseph A.
"
mittee.
The opening feature was a tableau
representing the Spirit of '76." On
the Mayflower stage were the three
figures in the famous painting, consist
ing OF two drummers and fifer por-
trayed by John D. Fitzgerald, William
H.. Labofish and Daniel S. Ring, all
members of the Bar Association. A
spotlight played on the figures, a breeze
stirred the large American flag in the
background and the orchestra rendered
the first verse of The Star Spangled
Banner" which was sung IN chorus by
the assembled guests.
The entertainment program, which
was under direction of Henry I. Quinn
included a monologue by William j.
Mentally a solo by Edwin H Steffe, ac-
companied by Robert Gotta; songs by
Matt Horne and George O'Connor, read
ing by Thomas w. Brahany, recital
by Edward j. Walsh and a vocal musi-
cal program by Fred East and Bill Ray
mond.
Guests of Honor.
The members Of the benches of the
Court of Appeals of the District of Co.
lumbia and the Supreme Court of the
A%AoGA4SI VI SOAuLlD4d hCLC I1lC BuCcUS VI
honor They were Chief Justice George
E. Martin and Justices Charles H. Robb,
Josiah A. Van Orsdel and D. Lawrence
Groner; Chief Justice Alfred A. Wheat
and Justices Peyton Gordon, Jesse c.
Adkins oscar Rs Luhring, Joseph w.
Cox, James M. Proctor, F. Dickinson
Let's and Daniel w. ODonoghue.
Associate Justice Owen j. Roberts of
the Supreme Court Of the United States.
former Chief Justice Walter l. McCoy
Of the District of Columbia Court of
AppealS- and former Associate Justice
Wendell P. Stafford of the District of
Columbia Court Of Appeals were present.
Other guests were Assistant United
States Attorney General John Lord
O'Brien, Assistant United States Attor-
ney General Charles P. Sisson, United
States Attorney Leo A. Rover, Corpora
ton Counsel William w. Bride, Theo-
dore Cogswell, register of wills; United
States Marshal Edgar C. Snyder, Charles
Coffin, Fred @. O'Connell, William r,
Harr, William R. Valance, A. Leftwich
Sinclair and Charles L. Sturtevant.
List of Those Present.
Others in attendance were Caesar L.
Alello, Ellis T. Allison, George p Alt,
SAAlA ICo W. A4II M. Lee AoLuOIU, w.
A Ashford, Joseph A. Ashi.
Bruce Biard, Thomas M. Baker, Gibbs
L. Baker, jerome F. Barnard, George P.
Barse, Walter M. Bastian, w. M.
Baughman, Chapin B. Bauman, John
c. W. Beall, Albert A. Beasley, G. A.
Beasley, Alexander H Bell, Alexander H.
Bell, jr.; Russell P. BeIlew, William r.
Benham, Henry P. Blair, Emory H Bog
ley, P. j. Boland, Marcus Borchardt S.
Russell Bowen, Donald Bowie, jr.; Leon
ard A. Block, Fontaine c. Bradley,
Frederick Bradley, John N. Bradley,
Thomas w. Brahany, John P. Bramhall,
Dave Bress, Stanley B. Brewster, Selig
c. Brez, Kingman Brewster, Frank S.
Bright, Francis c. Brooke, Carl Brown
William M. Browning, j. H. Burnett.
Lawrence H. Cake, Stephen P. Gala
han, E. D. Campbell, Austin F. Garfield,
John Carmody. j. Barrett Carter, Wal
ter j. Casey, @. Chester Caywood, Clar-
ence Charest, Einar Christensen, C. A
| <xI-.A A. yfr4x1a ID ia.