EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT an excellent reputation as a judge, but owes his present prominence to participation in public affairs — the second, known as an able lawyer, has also come to national reputation in larger politics — while the third owes his votes only to proved legal and judicial ability. The other lawyers and judges who received more than a scattering vote were: Parker, Choate, Rose, Sanborn, Gray, Grossup, Bald win. It is to be regretted that the response in this legal "Referendum" was not more gen eral, and that the American Bar did not take this opportunity to place on record its opinion of the judicial aptitude of its leaders. THE most important events of the month in the legal world have been the formal an nouncement of the promotion to the Supreme Court of the United States of Attorney General William H. Moody to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Henry B. Brown last spring, and the transfer of Mr. Bonaparte from the navy portfolio to the department of justice. Mr. Moody's reputation at the Bar has been made as a public prosecutor rather than as a judge, but his broad experience in the former capacity has given him a training that pecu liarly fits him to deal with the most important class of cases that is coming before the Supreme Court. Though it might seem embarrassing for him to sit in judgment over the final con tests of the litigation he has started against our great monopolies, he is known to his intimates as a man inclined by nature to independence of judgment and none who know him will doubt that he will be true to the best tradi tions of Anglo-Saxon lawyers and assume with his robes of office the impartiality which makes one often the best critic of one's own former acts. Mr. Bonaparte's career as a lawyer has already been ably recounted in our pages by his old associate in practice, Mr. Reynolds. His work in the prosecution of the Post Office frauds proved him no less able a lawyer than
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ardent a reformer, and he will doubtless bring new enthusiasm to the conspicuous work of his department in demonstrating to restless millions the possibility of enforcing the law against incorporate riches, and the justifica tion of a system of private property in a republic. THE action of the Supreme Court of the United States in postponing consideration of important cases until a full Bench was avail able made the work at Washington of the past month devoid of interest. The most striking incident of late in the trial courts has been the success of the first round of the prosecution of the Standard Oil Company by the State of Ohio. The institution of proceedings against this Company by the United States is already begun at St. Louis and it is to be hoped that the unfortunate experience with the Beef Trust cases will be turned to good account in the preparation of all these later causes. IN November i3th the National Congress on uniform divorce legislation began its second session at Philadelphia with consideration of the draft of a bill prepared by its committee since the first session last winter in Washington. The bill drawn by the committee names six causes for which divorces can be granted. They are infidelity, felony, bigamy, desertion, habitual drunkenness, and intolerable cruelty. The committee recommends that the various legislatures be asked to agree on a period of residence, before application may be made for divorce. The uniform bill finally adopted closely conformed to the committee's recom mendation. THE ceremonies attending the removal of the remains of James Wilson, one of the first judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, from North Carolina to Philadelphia, indicate a gratifying continuance of the interest in our legal history recently evidenced by the celebration of the centenary of John Marshall.
