Evening star., 1950-09-20
jackson Says Press
Lacks Restraint in
Reporting on Trials

Association, Justice Jackson said
that in his view criminal law to-
day could stand some radical i'm
provement.
He pointed to the courts Of
England as. a better example of
the detached attitude Of lawyers
toward their cases which Is neces-
sary for the proper administra-
ton of justice. He added:
II do not think that any lawyer
can stand UP and say that several
of our recent criminal trials have
been credit to our bar"
Pressure Attempts DepIored.
The jurist deplored what he
called the growing tendency to
attempt to bring pressure on juries
and the public" during the course
of criminal trials.
Justice jackson emphasized
that he is not in favor of official
muzzling Of the press. However,
he said it was "very unfortunate
that some sections Of the press do
not show more restraint in the
handling of court trials" The
fairness Of a trial. he said. depends
fundamentally on the conduct Of
the trial judge in what he does
or does not allow to reach the jury.
Lawyers Must Help.
But what good does it do for
instance, for a judge to exclude a
confession from evidence when a
Juror can go home and hear 1t
on his radio or read it in his news
paper" Justice Jackson said.
Federal Security Administrator
Oscar r. Ewing used a speech
before another ABC session today
to assail what he termed the
ignorance" Of critics who raise
the cry Of welfare state" against
the Federal Government and "tal
and feather" conscientious Of
ficials.
Lashing at what he called ian
animosity which has no reason
and no Justification" Mr.. Ewing
in an address prepared for deliv-
cry at luncheon of the bar as
sociation's Food. Drug and Cos
metic Law Division, declared:
Frankly. I have long since
grown tired of the epithet so often
flung at us in Washington-the
words like welfare state and So
cialism' and Government con-
trolls They reveal a certain ig-
norance-to Put the situation
mildly-on the part of the epithet
singers.
what they do not understand
is that we have adhered to the
basic and even the traditional
philosophy on which this country
wa sbuilt a philosophy OF
governemnt which serves the pub
lie as a whole rather than the
single, special interests, philoso-
ply which thereby serves all in
terests in America.
Mr.. Ewing said it was "down-
right offensive--even dangerous
to see respected and conscientious
citizens elevated to high public
office, only to be tarred and
feathered in the press, or on the
air, OF sometimes-if I may say
so-in the halls of Congress.
At the same meeting Morris L.
Ernst, prominent New York at
torney, called for the creation
of a special national commission
to combat the forces of COM
munism and fascism within the
United States.
Mr.. Ernst, member Of the
Presidents commission on civil
rights, said Its high time that
the President take such an action
something which congressional
committees through their shabby
behavior and the equally shabby
headlines of our daily press have
totally failed to do"
Amendment Turned Down.
At it's morning session, the Bar
Associations House of Delegates
unanimously turned down a pro-
posed amendment DO the ABA con-
stitution which would have out
lawed discrimination within the
organization because of race,
color, or creed. Delegates ex-
planned that such an amendment
is unnecessary because there is
no discrimination within the Or
ganization now.
Meanwhile. the House of Dele
gates of the ABA was get
ting set to consider a special
order of business rising out of a
speech last night by President
Harold j. Gallagher. Backers Of
the proposal claim it would tend
to keep politics out of the selection
of judges for the Federal bench.
Mr.. Gallagher, speaking be-
fore dinner Of the judicial ad-
ministration section of the asso-
citation, charged that, out Of nearly
200 Federal judges appointed since
1892, all but eight have been
Democrats.
Calls for Other Rewards.
cit is wrong to appoint men to
the bench purely because they
have rendered political service to
the party in power" he continued.
''If such men are entitled to some
reward, let them be rewarded in
some other way. Political leaders
should not be consulted or have
anything to do with the selection
of judges"
The association president called
on President Truman and the Sen
ate to cooperate to correct the
exceedingly high political unbal-
ance that presently exists"
Speaking on the same program,
Supreme Court Justice Clark told
the delegates the reason the courts