Show F A JUST REBUKE The action of the Supreme Court on Saturday in sitting down on the impudent I impu-dent attorney who had virtually expressed ex-pressed contempt for the court when speaking before Judge Bartch in the election case was eminently proper in view of the circumstances and the dignity dig-nity of the court The Herald has expressed Its views more than once on the license permitted per-mitted to attorneys in practicing at the bar The class to whica < dhn < SL Zane belongs often presume on their position posi-tion and the protection It gives them to insult witnesses abuse defendants use language they dare not employ in the face of their victims in private and show generally the characteristics of the bully and the coward Occasionally they go so far as to reflect upon the courts before which they plead and as in this case lay themselves open to judicial ju-dicial censure We do not care to discuss the legal aspect of the dispute between Attorney Zane and the Supreme Court That will 10 doubt be ventilated and a proper decision de-cision arrived at But we think it was clue to the dignity of the court that stome such notice should be taken of the language of young Zane as it received re-ceived on Saturday If courts do not preserve their own dignity they will not maintain that public respect which is essential their full authority We would be glad to see such members mem-bers of the bar as resort to the tactics exhibited by John M Zane taught a lesson which will have the effect to make them decent And in our opinion opin-ion courts in the United States are far too lax in their discipline They should protect witnesses and defendants defend-ants against the often virulent and shameful attacks < of viperish attorneys who seek to confuse instead of enlighten en-lighten and to sting and enrage and vilify in the place of bringing forth facts and reasons We are glad the Chief Justice took the position he occupied on Saturday morning and we believe he will be supported in his course by respectable people of all parties and classes An attorney who will openly insult the Supreme Court is not fit to practice in that court There is a proper way for the sprig of the law that has become swelled at the head to place himself right in this matter and if he does not take it he should be left to take the natural consequences |