judgment, there never was a time, there never was a country, that needed a little bit of conservatism more than this country does now, for instance, when it is proposed by a political convention to reconstruct the Supreme Court of the United States, and when the life tenure of our Supreme Judges is a matter of condemnation. I think, however, that you will meet with but little condemnation of the bar in the city of Davenport. When I say bar, I mean the legal; not the illegal. "We of this generation have come into an inheritance of a good deal of glory from the great patriarchs of the bar of Iowa. I think it is more of glory than of worldly advantage, because, I think, Chief Justice Adams was right when he said that he believed the scarcity of litigation in Scott County was because of the conscientious bar of early Iowa. If they had bequeathed to us as legatee a large crop of errors and mistakes. that might be a source of interesting litigation, we might have more to remember them by. That was not the characteristic of the early bar, with such men as Dillon, the Claussens, Lane, Rogers. Titles were early settled in this county and there is little of that class of litigation. "I think, gentlemen, that we will be able to make it pleasant for you, even with the present degenerate members of the bar, and we promise you that if you will stay with us some time, you will not regret it. “Again, I assure you that you are most thoroughly welcome in this city, and that your title deeds to the town contain no conditions of defeasance, and that if, by mischance, you run up against any conditions of misfeasance or malfeasance, I trust that you will remember that the mayor has large equitable powers, and may be able to reform the instrument, if not the individual, by remitting all penalties." President Kinne: Response by George F. Henry, of Des Moines. Mr. Henry: RESPONSE. "Mr. President: If it be true, as we all know it to be from tradition, and some of us, alas, from sad experience, that he who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client, what is to be said of the man who acts not only for himself, but as the representative of several hundred lawyers? Whatever may be truthfully said of these my clients (and if nothing else can be said, certainly they are a handsome set of fellows), I am very sure that as their spokesman and representative I feel my utter inability to fitly respond to the warm words of welcome to which we have just listened. While not surprised by them, knowing full well the cordial hospitality of Davenport people in general and the more than generous impulses of Scott County lawyers in particular, there are times, I assure our visitors, when even lawyers feel constrained to rely upon what our Hibernian friends might term the golden form of speech -silence. Iowa lawyers have heretofore recognized and universally admitted one contingency under which words, plain, polite Anglo-Saxon words at least, fail, dismally fail, to properly express the emotions of the legal heart, viz.: when some carefully prepared, perfectly logical and wholly unanswerable petition for rehearing is disposed of by one word, 'refused.' To this contingency, sufficient unto itself, when words fail me, must now be added another, and that is when the brainy and brilliant young mayor of Davenport speaks words of welcome! "I must say, however, for these my clients, that all the good things even you, Mr. Mayor, have said of them fall very far short of the truth, and I say this thus fearlessly, because unless it were that you and I were thus honest and outspoken, the world might never know the facts of which we speak, so modest and reserved are those of whom they are spoken. On behalf of these modest men I accept, sir, your tribute of respect and your generous offer of hospitality, assuring you in advance of our deep appreciation of those pleasures which are in store for us, creations of the bounty of our brethren of the Scott County bar and tokens of their fraternal good will. When a member of your bar, as big in heart as in body, extended to our last meeting an invitation to hold this meeting here, the Association jumped at the chance and we are already satisfied that we made no mistake. "When I was asked by the Programme Committee to make this response to your address of welcome, sir, it was kindly suggested that there was an especial fitness in having such a response come from one who had been a 'Davenport boy.' Whether this was on the principle that the prodigal son could best express thanks for a welcome home, as it were, I did not stop to inquire, for I assure you it was gratifying to be selected for this pleasant duty, and especially because the welcome comes from a people whom I shall always hold near and dear. This very relation will, I am sure, excuse a few words of reminiscence, for I would not like to feel constrained to conceal all my emotions as I stand here to-day. "The home of my boyhood; the scene of the active public and private life of an honored father, now of blessed memory: the place where were spent the happy days of childhood, and where were formed those attachments in school and college which death alone can sever; this and far, far more than this and far more than it would be fitting to express on this occasion, has this beautiful, prosperous city been to me. As I look back over those years my mind recalls the names of many men who in their day were leaders of the bar of the state, who might with propriety be mentioned on this occasion, did time permit, but I can only speak of two, Messrs. Putnam and Rogers, with whom I was associated as student and, following my admission to the bar, as clerk and assistant. Among the delightful memories of my life in this city, this association must always remain pre-eminent, not only because of the pleasure derived from intimacy with such men as men, but chiefly because of the effect upon my subsequent business and professional life. The elder, a careful, painstaking and faithful business man and office lawyer, always helpful, kind and considerate; the other, a student of the law, of consummate skill and ability, fit ornament of the highest bench in the land, a man whose learning was varied and profound and whose integrity of thought and action placed him above and beyond the taint of calumny or the breath of suspicion, and won for him the merited respect, admiration and confidence of his brethren and of all who knew him. The refined and scholarly Christian man and lawyer, generally of a serious mien, even his lighter thoughts were associated with his profession. I recall his bright and original application of a familiar legal maxim when, looking out of his office window one stormy winter evening, with a temperature outside several degrees below zero and the north wind driving the snow in small flakes and with blinding force and effect, he exclaimed, 'George, I would rather facit per alienum than facit per se.' "Many a time when sôrely perplexed have I glanced at his picture which graces my office and wished for his presence and aid, and I feel very sure that you, my brothers, will approve this simple tribute of respect to his memory, uttered in this place, the city of his residence, where he was best known as friend, neighbor, citizen, lawyer and judge. "But, Mr. President, the duties of the present hour summon us, and in conclusion I assure you again, Mr. Mayor, for myself and my brethren, that we are profoundly grateful for your generous words and for the abundant provision which has been made for our convenience and our pleasure, and that we shall take away with us and always retain none but pleasant memories of this meeting of our association. President Kinne: The Secretary will now call the roll. The following members responded to roll call: Baker, Chas.... Bollinger, James W Burnham, G. W Carpenter, C. A Coffin, N. E. Dale, Horatio F Mechem, L. C. Remley, Milton. Sever, P. L. ...Iowa City. .. Vinton. .Columbus Junction. . Des Moines. .Des Moines. . Des Moines. And others whose names the Secretary did not obtain. President Kinne: I notice, gentlemen, that none of the members of the Membership Committee are present at this meeting and I have no advices whether or not they will be present. I will appoint-as this matter must be acted upon at once-R. M. Haines, E. S. Huston, and W. A. Park as such committee. Our rules require also that the chair appoint an Auditing Committee, and I will name L. C. Blanchard, N. E. Coffin, and G. W. Burnham as such committee. Under the head of "Petitions, Communications, Memorials, Remonstrances and Other Papers to be Referred or Disposed of Without Debate," I have a brief report which I wish to make: To the Members of the Iowa State Bar Association: It seems proper that I make a brief statement as to the condition of the Association, its growth, the efforts put forth to secure new members and other matters of interest. At the close of our last session we had one hundred and sixty-seven members, representing forty-two of the counties of the state. Some months since I wrote to one or more lawyers in every county in the state, urging that efforts be made to add to our numbers and also sent them blank applications. These appeals were followed by others, and as a result I have received one hundred and twenty new applications and the fees from all except one, all of which have been turned over by me to our Treasurer, whose receipts I hold. These applications represent eighteen counties not heretofore having any members. It will be seen that there are still forty counties in the state in which we have no members. I find that the successful way is to visit the counties in person, as otherwise the matter is apt to be neglected by those who intend to join the Association. I have no doubt that a personal visit to these unrepresented counties, as well as to some of the larger places in the state would secure to us a membership of several hundred more than we now have, and I recommend that you authorize your President or some other person to do this work during the ensuing year, and that the Association pay his actual and necessary expenses in so doing. I deem this matter impor |