Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 05.pdf/512



hearers wished that he would go on. This mastery of the art of knowing when to stop is admirable, and THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION. — By way of not too common. The Easy Chair also listened to vacation the Easy Chair rocked itself out to Chicago, a paper by Judge Rose, of Arkansas, on strikes and taking in as much of the great Show as could be trusts, — a labored and exhaustive history and dis absorbed in six days, and thence to Milwaukee to cussion, very instructive and useful, but too long attend the annual meeting of the American Bar for the occasion. An hour and a half is too much Association, and the conference of the State Com for one reader, at such a time, for the reasons that missions on uniform legislation. The meetings of the paper can be read by each person in print in a the Bar Association were attended by about the much shorter time, and oratory is either lacking or same number as usual, which is not large, but highly does not add to its effect. Print, but do not publicly respectable in quality. The Easy Chair was enabled read, such papers, we should advise. This essay to hear the address, by Mr. Justice Brown, of the was succeeded by a very lively and amusing dis United States Supreme Court, on '• Distribution of cussion on Professor Baldwin's proposed act of Congress to secure to foreigners a criminal redress Property." This was a model in matter and in delivery. The speaker reviewed the modern causes at the hands of the general government, for violence and phases of discontent with the prevailing laws in person or to property, in case none is granted by of tenure of property, and the proposed substitutes. the particular State, as for example in the case of the He spoke of socialism, anarchism, communism, the New Orleans lynching of Italians. The bill pro strifes between labor and capital, the history and vides, in effect, that in case the State does not pro policy of " trusts,'' the right to dispose of property ceed to punish the offender in six months, the President, on complaint of the foreign ambassador, by will, and the question of taxation. His observa tions were judicious and conservative, and in the and in his discretion, may direct criminal proceedings main did ful! justice to the claims of the opposing in the Federal Court. Several gentlemen agitated schools and classes. We are inclined to believe the American eagle in a violent manner over this that he hardly did justice, however, to the theoretical proposition, arguing that no greater privileges should claims of the anarchists, although he properly esti be accorded to aliens than to our own citizens. The mated the practical result of their teachings. He evident answer was very effectually made that our dismissed this class of persons quite summarily as federal government cannot evade responsibility under undisguised bandits, outlaws, and enemies to social the law of nations by reason of the dual form of our order, without attention to the fact that many of State institutions. National dual will inevitably lead their public advocates and teachers, while opposing to international duel. If a citizen of England, all forms of government, deprecate the overthrow of mobbed in the streets of the city of New York, is the present forms of government by violence, but denied redress by the State, England may justly argue in favor of peaceful revolution, and predict and very likely will make war on that State, by lay that men without government will prove friendly and ing her ironclads off Long Island and reducing the harmonious. This is a specious view, but it is i city to ashes. That complete justice is denied to unfair to anarchists to pass it by without recognition. ¡ the citizens of different States under our dual form The speaker showed that this country is more liberal of government is no reason why justice should be than most in allowing testamentary dispositions of denied to citizens of other countries. The essence estates, and urged that some restriction in this of the matter is international justice, and the result is public peace or international war. It is humili regard, when the claims of family or kindred inter ating and disgraceful that the federal government vene, would be advisable, — a question quite sus ceptible of discussion, with possibly the advantage should be compelled to buy its peace with money. on the side of the speaker. The address was a at the general expense, on account of the crime of model in another and important respect. — it was not citizens of one of its States and the refusal of that too long : the eminent speaker stopped when his State to do justice. Our government bought off a CURRENT TOPICS