Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-06-29
TWO FINE PAPERS.
rHRANNUALA DDRBSSOR PRESIDENT JABoB
rOTHB BAR ASSOCIATION,
And an Excellent Effort by Hon. W. ?, Hubbard %
"Wsst Virginia StatuIss"-Tts Theme
Discussed by Hon. D. B. Lucas
and Others.

There was a decided increase In the
attendance at the session of the State Bar
Association, yesterday morning. Among
the strangers present who were absent
Wednesday, were Messrs. r. M. Daily, OF
Hampshire; D. @. Westenbaver, Of Martins
burg; ]. R. Braddock and ]. G. MITCHELL
of Hancock; II. R. Howard, OF Pt Pleas
ant; B. W. Amber, of Parkersburg, and
Hon. d. @. Lucas, of Msrtinsburg. There
were also several visitors not members OF
the legal profession.
Immediately after the session was con-
vened, President Jacob began the reading
of his annual address, prefacing it with the
statement that he had been somewhat at q
loss for O suitable topic, in the absence OF
any guidance in the Constitution, but had
finally concluded to speak of the import
ance Of organizations, such as the one over
which he presided.
THE ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT.
President Jacob began by saying
THE formation of Bar Associations,
general and local, is movement OF COM
paratively recent origin. This movement
Is, no doubt, to some extent, stimulated
and strengthened through sympathy and
IN harmony with the prevalent sentiment
of the times. This is an age OF concerted
action. Individual action and effort fail
to accomplish the results of former days,
or, rather, the separate and independent
efforts of the individual, in their results,
fall far short Of the grand achievements OF
concerted action Of the present day. In
dustrial and commercial corporations are
superseding individual enterprise. The
laborer now finds himself member OF,
or in utilization with, some orgsnl-
cation that controls his action,
and carries him irresistsbly along
IN the flow of its current. Political con-
yentions dictate the policy of the country,
and select the public agents who are to
govern it; and individual opinions and
preferences are controlled by them, or are
overshadowed by their massive influence
Religious leaders can more decisively pro-
claim and promote the faith and practices
which lie at the very foundation of their
organization; to them, unity of action is an
absolute necessity. Our brethren OF the
medical profession have recognized the
current of events, and have yielded to its
influence, by forming medical associations,
which have doubtless accomplished good,
not only to the profession, but to human
ity at large. In our present civilization,
the individual is a fsctor-one Of many
moving together to accomplish great re-
results, and not the sole producing cause.
Seldom now does one rise so far above his
fellows in intellectual force or moral weight
as to be greatly distinguished from them
in the true use of the term; and this Is not
because Of any decay of the mental power,
or falling away in morals, but because the
bent or plane Of thought and action OF the
great body Of the people has been elevated
Now, members Of the Bar, recognizing
THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES,
are coming together and forming Associa-
tions throughout the country. Lawyers,
from their education and habits of thought,
are necessarily the most conservative class
of men, and reluctant to let 90 OF the old
and adopt the new. Nevertheless, they
are beginning to look about, aud enquire
whether advancement and progress can be
made in their profession, and with knowl-
edge of the advantages of unity OF action In
other fields OF human endeayor, have form
D. -, nd q N
their brethren to Join hands with them Ia
correct abuses where abuses exist, cure IT.
regualritieS and establish sound legal prin,
ciples. 1t is too early yet to affirm or pre-
dict with entire confidence that, through
the agency of these Associations, all the de-
fects or irregularities of our judicial system
can he corrected, and that exact justice
will uuerriUgly be administered. 1t 10,
perhaps best to state modestly the ends
aimed at, rather than to claim results
not yet attained. Perhaps in no
hnman organization are the greatest
and highest. results aimed at ever
attained; the good is ever present and in
view, but is never reached. The hopes
and desires of the greatest and best minds
may never be fully realized, but they still
remain to give purpose and vitality to
others. And it is perhaps best that ii
should be so, for we are so constituted
that when the goal has been reached, the
race won, all the ends in view effected,
then comes lethargy, stsgnation, then de-
cay and finally dissolution. Our lives
are in state of unrest, of activity; there is
no halting place by the wayside; it is
ever onward and upward, or back ward and
downward"
President Jacob then recited the facts OF
the organization of the Bar Association,
aud outlined
ITS PURPOSES AND OBJECrs,
and said if these purposes were steadily
kept in view, there would he great gain
to the profession. Passing on to present
suggestions, he said:
There is Vogue and not fully formu.
lated thought in the minds of some per-
sons, that we have complete and perfect
system Of jurisprudence; that the idea OF
progress is foreign to it, and therefore,
hat the suggestion of advancement is
s;thsr UNNECESSARY or fraught with mis-.
chief. But thu who formed our consti'
tuition have supposed SS""h advancement
not only possible, bat probable a"d desir-
able"
The speaker held that if faults bad arisen
in the science of Jurisprudence. they arose
from improper use of the maxims and prin-
ciples Dou which the science was founded,
but so deeply implanted in the minds OF
the profession were these principles, that
any suggestion of unsOundness is generally
received with impotence. All students
are impressed and imbued with q high
estimate of the legal principles which they
are taught, and it requires bold spirit TO
question them. But it is a critical
age, and our system Of law cannot
escape the inevitable fste-the questioning
of its entire perfection. Proceeding, he
said:
at has been a pride and boast of the
common law, that its principles are go
wise, and 80 comprehensive, that they are
adequate for and applicable to all conditions
Of men and states of society. While there
is much truth in this, yet it is not abs0-
lutely true, for it has been deemed neces-
sary to abrogate some of them, modify
Others, and supplement others by statutory
enactment. The rule in Shelly's case, and
in the case of joint tenants,
have been abolished; the registration of
deeds provided for, proceedings on distress
warrant modified, the statute Of frauds, OF
uses, of wills, have been passed; the marital
IL Id fasY