670
THE GREEN BAG
ment of fourteen states, were present, and a Root to the opponents of national regulation permanent organization was effected, under by calling to their attention their persistent the name of The National Association of neglect of their own opportunities is also bearing Attorney Generals of the United States, and fruit. Once public sentiment demands of provision made for annual and special meetings. the several states uniform treatment of the A committee was appointed to draft a uniform economic problems which our rapidly increasing anti-trust law to be introduced in the several wealth has brought, the tendency to centraliza state legislatures. The work of the conference tion which alarms the conservatives, and to-day may be best summed up in the following furnishes the important motive of constitu tional discussion, will again subside, until new unanimous resolution. "Whereas, The efficient administration, as conditions recall it to the front. well as the preservation of our dual system of ENGLISH JUDGES. government, requires that each sovereignty be permitted to exercise its functions, as defined The veracious press has told recently of by the Federal Constitution, unhampered by a party of St. Louis lawyers who are touring the other; therefore, England to study its judicial methods and Be it resolved by the convention of attorney machinery. One of these learned brothers generals of the several states here assembled, is reported to have announced the result That we earnestly recommend to the favorable of his researches as follows: consideration of the President and the Congress "The judges were too advanced in age of the United States the enactment of a and were apparently not men of the world. federal law providing that no Circuit Court of They seemed insufficiently experienced in the United States or any judge exercising the every-day life and every-day business. They powers of such circuit judge shall have the simply sit in judgment and lay down the jurisdiction in any case brought to restrain law just as it was administered hundreds any officer of a state or any administrative of years ago. A judge elected to the Bench board of a state from instituting in a state in America is invariably a man of the world, court any suit or any other appropriate pro with wide human knowledge, a man of ceedings to enforce the laws of such state or to modern life. Altogether, British legal ma enforce any order made by such administrative chinery impressed one as insufficiently up to board; but allowing any person or corporation date." asserting in any such action in a state court any The New York Nation took the story right arising under the Constitution or any law seriously enough to be inspired to this sar of the United States to have the decision of castic editorial: "It is obvious that these the highest court of the state reviewed by the criticisms are well founded. English judges Supreme Court of the United States, as now are still under the impression that a prisoner provided by law. We also recommend that brought up for trial should be either con suits in federal courts instituted by persons demned, or acquitted, instead of being interested in corporations to restrain such allowed to die of the gout in jail while await corporations from obeying the law of the state ing his fifth trial. The judges across the in which they are doing business be prohibited." water are hundreds of years behind in their It is interesting also to note that within the attitude towards triumphant science, for last month a convention of State Railroad it is on record that they will actually interrupt Commissioners has been held for mutual an expert in the witness-chair even while he advice and uniform action by their respective is engaged in making an ass of himself. With an utter lack of worldiness, English departments in the different states. What ever we may think of the constitutionality or judges do not take a leading part in gigantic the advisability of the enactment of specific clambakes, beefsteak dinners, or potato races legislation, it is an encouraging sign of the for fat men. And, worse than all, they times that the state executive officers at least are not up even on the rudiments of the are awakening to their opportunities, and that Law of the Previous Fist, sometimes known the rebuke administered last year by Secretary as the unwritten law."
