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Show j The Birthplace of Trouble j In response to a questionnaire sent out by the National I Economic League to members of its National Council, an swers wore received from several thousands of representative representa-tive citizens as to what are the main problems before the country. On the more important problems the voting ran thus: . Lawlessness, disrespect for law 1203 Administration of justice 1173 World Court 950 Prohibition , 9rl6 'Taxation 75$ Ethical, moral and religious training . 701 Agriculture . 692 It is a bit strange that the answers did not concentrate upon the second item Administration of justice. In the final analysis, all of our national problems are dependent de-pendent for right solution upon the administration of justice. The Decalogue from Mt. Sinai had ten commandments. Christ had one "That ye love one another as I have loved you." So loving, men could not violate any of the ten specifications specifi-cations of the Mosaic tablets. Similarly, with the exact administration ad-ministration of justice, all of our problems are possible of solution. Twelve hundred of the citizens questionnaired, as above, expressed their conviction that an abnormal amount of lawlessness law-lessness and disrespect for law exist in our country, today ; and, everybody knows this to be a fact. Is there any question but this condition prevails because of the maladministration of justice in making and enforcing law? In civil litigation, who wins? Is there any doubt but, as a rule, the winner is the party with the bigger purse with which, through red tape, techincality, delay and finesse, to defeat the administration of justice? In criminal litigation? Thaw, Loeb-Leopold, the "dissolved" "dis-solved" Standard trust and other unwhipt combinations to unjustly tax the people! "You can't convict a hundred mil-; lion dollars" made a reliable axiom by repeated, practical1 demonstration ! Wm. Howard Taft, Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, publicly proclaiming the extra-judicial decision de-cision that the administration of justice in America is a disgrace to civilization ! . What is our World Court problem other than a proposition proposi-tion for just treatment of our fellow-men at large? Is the lawlessness of our demoralizing problem of prohibition prohi-bition enforcement based upon anything else than maladministration malad-ministration of justice as between strata of society, strata. ! of politics and strata of wealth, the big fish of each stratum escaping the justice? And so throughout the list taxation, training, agriculture agri-culture and all the other problems. It all reverts to and depends de-pends upon the administration of justice. The hen's egg hatches a chicken, not an owl, or an alligator. alli-gator. Maladministration of justice, just as naturally and inevitably, hatches lawlessness, disrespect of law and, what is worse, public indifference to the operation of justice or in- - . .' justice. i Who can successfully deny that our problems become more and more distressful, difficult and numerous because j the popular concept and appreciation of justice are weakening. The country can have what it demands. It can have genuine administration of justice. Or, it can have more lawlessness law-lessness and more broods of problems to mercilessly harry it. Justitia cannot hold respect as both chaste goddess and harlot har-lot of the classes. Her blind-fold must indicate something far greater and more virile than indifference to the injustice that is going on, openly and noisily, all about her. |