Show Fields Foolishness Washington 27A great deal of comment com-ment is indulged in here among lawyers and others in regard to the case of the San Mateo County against the Southern Pacific Railroad and Justice Fields ac tion in connection therewith by his presence pre-sence at the banquet given by Leland Stanford of the Central Pacific road to Conkling and others of the counsel who appeared for the Southern Pacific The unanimous verdict is that Justice Field did a very indelicate thing to say the least in view of the fact that he tried the case in California No other member of the Supreme Court participated in tho banquet Indeed it is safe to soy that no other of its justices were invited Today an enormous edition of Justice Jus-tice an anti monopoly organ published in New York was circulated in this city and nearly all officials of prominence receiving re-ceiving a copy through the mail A striking article appears on Its first page surrounded by a black border half an inch in width It speaks of corporate aggressions in general and this case in particular It says it requires no lawyer to detect the vice of Judge Fields decision deci-sion or favoritism towards corporations There is no irregularity in the two systems of assessments for both of them take the actual value ofproperty in every case The Fourteenth Amendment by its language lan-guage and intent does not refer to corporations cor-porations but ta men with souls bodies consciences and moral responsibilities The provision of the Constitution has no reference to the case in question and i is not violated The decision however conforms to the general customs of the court of which Judges Field and Sawyer preside Californians have long ceased to seek justice in that court in any casein case-in which the railroads are concerned el Judge Field baa been the judicial mental l guide philosopher and friend the Central Cen-tral and Southern Pacific Railroads for years He decides in their favor in the courts over which he presides and steadily dissents from decisions of the Supreme Court when they are ngainjt them |