tizens who entertained a sentimental regard for the State
institutions of a civilization founded upon the unsound teachings of
eighteenth-century doctrinaires.

The period of the abandonment of the old courts corresponded with the
extraordinary development for what was called "moving pictures";
those pale, lifeless presentations without color, speech, or
substance, at which the people of a benighted age gathered for
amusement or entertainment! It requires imagination to conceive that
people were unfamiliar with the ease of communicating with any place
on the globe and reproducing exactly in form, color, and speech by
turning on a switch. The observer of that age must have been shocked
and surprised to find the solemn courthouses turned into what was
known as moving-picture palaces or as community centers for dancing
and social entertainments.

The change of class which the lawyers had gradually been undergoing to
simple men of affairs was not so abrupt as that for the judicial
officers, who were far removed from actual life. Various expedients
were attempted by which they could be preserved as a class. Their
former occupation being gone and the idea of pensioning not being
satisfactory, as there remained a large number of younger men on the
bench who might be of some value to the community, a system of court
cafes was evolved. Even to-day it is fast disappearing and for the
benefit of future generations it may be well to describe the last
remnant of an institution that held its position in the social order
for so long.

Human nature being always substantially the same, it was thought that
its demands for the dramatic action and stress of battle should have
some outlet. It was not thought wise to entirely abolish the arenas
for legal disputes, although the present Judicial Corporations with
their excellently organized departments were already rapidly
destroying all litigation. It was felt that perhaps humanity demanded
the bringing together of the two disputants so that they personally
might oppose their claims to one another.

It now seems incredible, in view of the absolute simplicity of
communication by Viviphone, that this should be thought necessary. The
need for romantic expression seemed to demand the opportunity for
personal presentment. The social workers who established these cafe
courts, did not realize that with the growth of a more intelligent
public point of view, the question of abstract justice was l