The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-23
THE LAWYERS CONVENTION.
Beginnipg the Work Of Organizing sNatioaa
Bar Association.

Beginnipg the Work of Organizing sNatioaal
Bar Association.
WASHINGTON, May pa convention Of dele
gates from mary Of the State and local bar as
sociations Of the country, having for its object
the formation Of q national bar association,
met here to-day. The call for the convention
was issued one month ago By the bar assoois-
ton of the District of Columbia. Among the
State associations represented are those OF
Vermont. New York. Ohio. illinois. West vir-
ginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ten
nessee. Georgia. Alabama, Mountains and Cali
fornia. Among the principal cities represented
by local organizations are Pittsbure, Lancas-
ter, Wilkesbarre, Baltimore. Richmond, Column
his, s. c., Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron. Colum-
bus, Indianapolis. ST. Louis. Detroit, Milwaukee.
St Paul. Minneapolis and Washington. Large
delegations from New York city and Chicago are
expected to arrive this evening.
About seventy-fve delegates were present st
the opening session. A. s. worthingson, sx-
United States district attorney and president Of
the District bar association, called the convsn-
ton to order and briefly explained the objects
and purposes for which the convention was
called. He said it was almost the unanimous
opinion Of the lawyers Of the country that the
profession should have q national organization.
There was pressing need for such organization.
The utter lack of uniformity in the laws
solutAly essential that some concerted
action should be taken looking TO
q remedy for the evil. He called attention
to the differences 10 laws In several States re-
lAtine to commercial paper. In the statutes OF
Limitation there was the widest diversity. In
some of the States . claim may be barred in
three years, ia others fifteen years A will or
any other instrument properly and legally ere
cuted in one State may be fatally defective in
another. At present, he said, there 10 no
organized body whose particular business
il is to seek a remedy for these wide and sense
less diversities in the enactment OF laws which.
in all essential particulars, should be uniform
throughout the Union"
Col j. o. Brodhead, OF St Louis, was elected
chairman Of the convention In taking the chair
he said there should be perfect harmony Of ac-
ton between the proposed association and the
several State and local associations. He Was .
member, he said, Of the American Bar Associa-
ton, and had declined TO appear 40 o delegate TO
this convention until he was convinced shat
there was to be perfect harmony between the
two. He said that the highest aim Of . lawyer
plated, should be 10 guard well the princi-
pies of our fundamental laws; 70 zealously
guard individual rights, that they be not i'm.
| paired, and to see to il that the barriers thrown
around our federal Constitution were not over
reached by the legislative and executive depart
ments of the government. Individual rights,
be said, were nowhere better guarded than IN
the French republic. To-day. IN France, the
laws are intellieently made, and are strictly and
just administered. and. 10 bis opinion. this
happy condition Of affairs was in . great mess-
ure brought about through the influence OF men
learned in the law. Judge Brodhead earnestly
favored the formation Of the proposed associa-
| ton.
On motion Of Mr.. Shellabarger, OF the Dis
trict association, the chair was authorised 70
appoint q committee of fifteen to report . form
| Of constitution for o national representative
har association of the United Statea