St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-02
aLa,ruer,, lforaIs.

The Century for November has an editorial
under the head Of Lawyers Morals" from
which the following points are quoted:
81. A lawyer ought to be a gentleman.
His function as an attorney gives him no
dispensation to disregard the ordinary rules
Of good manners, and the ordinary prinei-
pies Of decency aud honor. He has no right
10 SANDER his neighbor, even If his neighbor
be the defendant in a cause in which he ap-
pears Tor the plaintiff. lie has no right to
bully or browbeat a witness in eross-examin-
alton, or artfully entrsp that witness into
giving false testimony. Whatever the privi-
lege Of the court may be, the lawyer who is
guilty Of such pra-tices in court IS no gentle
man out OF court.
''2. A lawyer ought not 10 lie. he may
defend criminal whom he knows 10 be
guilty, but he may not say 10 the jury that
be believes this criminal 20 be innocent He
may not, in any way Intentionally convey 10
the jury the impression that he believes the
man 10 be innocent. He may not, in his
plea, pervert or distOrt the evidence so as to
weaken the force or conceal the meaning OF
IL. He Is a sworn officer Of the court, and
his oath should bind him TO the strietest
veracity. 1t would be quixotic 20 expect him
10 assist his adversary, but his obligation 10
speak the truth outrEnks every obligation
that he owes TO HE client. IL Is notorious
that some lawyers who would think it scan
dalous 10 tell falsehood out Of court, In any
business transaction, lie shamelessly in
court in behalf OF their clients, and seem 70
think it part OF their professional duty. That
bar Of justice. before which, by their pro-
fessional obligations, they are bound TO the
most stringent truthfulness, is the very
place where they seem TO consider them
selves absoived from the common law OF
veracity. So long as the legal mind is in
feeted with this deadly heresy, we need not
wonder hat our courts OF justice often be-
come the instruments of unrighteOusness.
''3 a lawyer ought not TO sell his servic-
es for the promotion Of injustice and knav-
cry. Swindlers Of all types are aided by law
yers in their depredations upon society. The
mock broker who operates in Wall street, and
strips green country Spectators Of their hard
earned gains by the most nefarious rOguery,
always has an able lawyer as his accomplish.
The gentleman by whose agency a nest OF
these rascals was lately broken up says: "The
great difficulty In stopping swindles OF this
class is that the rascals make enough money
TO be able TO employ the best legal advice,
and are moreover, careful 10 do nothing
which viii render them liable TO arrest.
This is the testimony Of lawyer, Mr.. Ralph
Oakley Of New York. The best of legal adj
vice can be had then, in New York city for
such purposes. It would be more difficult to
believe this If its truth were not so often i'll
ustrated in the stupendous frauds and pira-
cies OF great corporations, all OF which are
fl
Our modern 'buccaneers'-our brave rail
road wreckers-are in constant consultation
with distinguished lawyers. They undeni
ably have the best OF legal advice in plan
ming and and executing their bold iniqui
tics -