The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-24
STATES BEST LAWYERS
MANY OF THEM ATTENDED THE BAR
MEETING YESTERDAY.
Several Fine Addresscs-Nonparti
Harrison Reelected President.

The Indiana Bar Association held the first
meeting since its organization yesterday in
the hall of the House of Representatives
at the Statehouse and it was very sue
cessful gathering. about $50 of the most dis
tinguished lawyers of the State being pres
ent. General Benjamin Harrison, president
of the association, called the gathering TO
order at 10 o'clock, and, after the minutes
had been read, picked up the programme
of exercises. The next number on the pro-
gramme,' said he, is a brief address by
the president. I have always been able to
take hint Proceeding with his brief
address, General Harrison said:
zone of the purposes of the association
is to promote the administration of justice
We gather here this morning IN one OF the
halls of the Legislature of indiana. 1t is
a proper place for our assembling. The
Legislature makes a great deal of work for
the lawyers. / cannot but THINK that II
a committee of the bar association-as a
committee not on policies, but on express
sion-could sit in connection with the Legts-
lature that the convenience and comfort of
the courts and the directneSs and exact
ness of public laws would be promoted.
do sincerely hope-and l take, in this large
representative assembling of the bar TINS
morning, a prediction that 1t may pc So
that we have organized an association OF
the profession in Indiana that is to be per-
manent one that shall enlist the enthuSl-
members of the bar of the State. L do be-
lieve that this association, pursuing It's
natural and proper purposes expressed l, IN IN
it's constitution, may contribute very great
ly to the good of the commonwealth OF
which we are citizens. l hope, therefore.
that the interest in this association may
not be temporary or lukewarm, but that 1T
may be permanent and enthusiastic.
we are associated in part to promote
the administration of justice, and there are
many ways in which this association, CO.
operating with legal associations, may
greatly contribute to this end. If our courts
are to retain the veneration and respect
which is due to them, and which Is not
only their due, but the preservation of
which, in the public estimation, is essential
to settled stable orderly public and social
life, the bar of the State must do its duty
to itself and to the courts. 1t will dis
charge that duty, l think, in the first place,
by throwing it's influence as an ASSOCIATION
and the influence of every Individual MEM
Der of it, to the selection for Judicial places
under our state government of those men
who are fit and fitted for the discharge
of judicial duties. No other considerations
but those of integrity, address ana legal
requirements should enter INTO the Selec-
ton of judicial officer.
POLITICS ON THE BENCH.
ut may be that in the constitution of
some of our great Appellate Courts, espe-
cially the Supreme Court at Washington,
there are party divisions upon the lines of
great constitutional questions, such as
those that arose during the war, that may
fairly enter into the consideration of the
appointing power. Perhaps the President
may rightly consider whether the person
suggested for place upon the bench OF
the Supreme Court has a right opinion
upon questions of the supremacy of the
national government in all national at1alrs;
but when we come to the lower and more
subordinate and more temporary matters
of politics, matters that are of business ex-
pediency and consideration, then l hold
hot ic 9SDeclallX
of the bar, to give their ballots Tor a man
simply because he is of this party or or
that party, if in doing so they vote Tor the
less worthy and the less competent man.
(Applause.( s,.-,u,u
these agitating social questions, these dls-
tracing and exciting questions that arise
between capital and labor, that agitate our
people, that sway our assembIes--in the
midst Of these the hope of our country is in
a Clean high-minded judiciary, and we
should contribute every effort TO secure men
only that, but the bar should stand against
these Vindictive, malicious and unfounded
assaults that are SO often MADE upon our
to diminish the respect or Inc pupllc' tor a
Judge tends to the public injury. If he is
guilty of malfeasance or misconduct In Of
nee: if he is corrupt, let the Bar Associa-
ton be his accuser and bring him not only
to the judgment of the tribunal or the pun
lie but to that judgment which our Con-
stitution provides. Let US set ourselves
against these malignant, inconsiderate un-
founded imputations against the impartia1-
ty and integrity of our judges. II IS es-
sential again that the relations between
the bar and the court should be placed upon
the highest level Oh courtesy anu Hiu'pai
respect.
DEPLORES COURT WRANGLING.
1T is an unseemly thing that law causes
should be conducted in the midst of wrang-
ling and angry exchanges between court
and counsel or between counsel. There
should be that mutual respect in which the
Judge does not insult or invade the just
province of the lawyer, and in which the
LAWYER stands as a model of courtesy and
Difference to the judge who presides. Trials
thus conducted dignity the court and give
to judicial proceedings in the opinion of
the public, a decency and sanction that
they cannot afford TO lose.
II suggest that we take into conSIdera'-
ton each for himself whether he has erred
in these particulars, and that we bring into
our practice and into our relations to the
courts and to each otner some OF that old
time courtliness of dignity which charac-
terized the bar.
Nov gentlemen this introduction opens
up many avenues of thought and sugges-
ton. but l forbear Let US here assembled,
as we are, as lawyers, members of great
principles upon which the law rests, and
our allegiance to those exchanges or cour-
tesy and kindness between eench ana par,
that much tend to dignity the PROBES
sion, to give power and sanction to the
judgments of the courts. Our judges Will
have no trouble in maintaining their tenn
per I hope, because of all men, they have
little excuse when they get mad, unless the
lawyer has practiced some fraud upon them,
because L have observed in all my practice
that a case always goeS-almoSC always
goes. unless jury interVeneS to thWart II
almost always goes the judges way in his
court The man who can say TO MS clerk:
Mr. Clerk enter up this order or that
order ought not to lose mis- temper at the
LAWYERS who are wrangling over the order
on the floor. He can afford TO smile benign
ly through the whole proceeding. And now,
gentlemen, excuse this somewhat rambling
talk and let me have the pleasure of in
Producing TO you as the speaker of the
morning a gentleman who has kindly con-
sented to leave his arduous professional
duties to meet with US, the Hon. Lawrence
Maxwell. one of the most distinguished
members of the bar of our sister State Of
Ohio.
MR. MAXWELL'S ADDRESS.
Lawrence Maxwell, jr., was received with
much applause as he came to the clerk S
desk He delivered able address upon
the law as a science, the leading thought
in which was that the law proceeds upon
rules of justice and common sense that are
Just as clearly defined and immutable as
any of the laws of science. In the course
of his address he said:
1--WE are not ordinarily disposed to chal-
lenge fhe suggestion that the law is Il
significance of the claim. We in
cined rather to accept 1t as comfortable
assurance which seems to add something
to the dignity of our calling. We meet ii
on every hand. Read the advertisements of
a new law book and you find a testimonial
10 4f.af ted