The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-22

M
JAMES II. TORREY,
President of the Association and Chair
man of the Evening.
Godfreys men. There were eight
courses, many of them containing some
novel and most palatable dishes. 1t
was as follows:
Sailed Walnuts
Shrewsbury oysters.
Olives Celery.
Consomme Volatile en- Tasse.
Timbaes a la Refine.
Planked Roe Shad. AIaitre Hotel.
Hot House Cucumbers.
Pomme Terre Croquettes.
Filet de Boeuf. Brilat-Savarin.
Petit Pois.
Canards Sauvages. Bigarade.
Cherry Florins. Corn Bread. Cresson.
Punch Commonwealth.
Lobster Olio in Shell
Nisselrode.
Cheese. Toasted Crackers.
Cafe Noir.
Sautern Pomeroy-Sec
Cigars.
Mr.. Torrey at 10 o'clock arose and
raped for order. He read letters of re-
gret from President Judge Charles f..
Rice, of the Superior court, and
Judge j. b. Mcpherson, of Harris
burg. He then announced that
during the year three mem
bers OF the bar had deceased, j. NJ. C.
Ranck, Frank Seward Miller and Jere
miah ID. Regan. A toast was drunk in
silence to their memory after which Mr..
Torrey delivered the presidents ad-
dress. His theme was The law--It has
honored us; may we honor it," He said:
MIR. TORREY'S ADDRESS.
We have lived thro' the labors the
struggles and the honorable burdens of
another year We are honored by the
privilege of membership in the most eX-
alted, the most eXacting, the most COM
prehensiVe of professions. IT, as has been
said the law is the perfection of human
reason, its instruments have the best OPP
portuuity and the broadest field for the
development and exercise of the highest
intellectual powers. What human rela-
tion which does not look to us for the
definition of its rights and its obligations? =?
What individual or corporate privilege
which does not trace its origin to and
seek its vindication from the law? What
right so Insignificant that the law will
not summon to its enforcement the en-
tire power of the state? What interest so
vast or powerful that it must not yield
to the demonstration of the humblest
pleader and bend to the enforcement of
W
and the pride of our institutions that all
men are equal before the law.
In spite of the cheap sarcaSms of the
Cyntcs and the sneers of pessimiSts | be-
lieve the statement was nowhere ever so
true today in free America. | believe
that the process of the evolution of the
highest type of social institutions is con-
stantly progressive ana that we are to-
day in advance of any previous period of
the worlds history To the legal profess
sion more than to any other single human
- hn Nfb In =
already been attained. To the legal pro-
fession must the world look for the com
pletion of the work SO we'll begun | am
aware that | am in danger of uttering
what may be regarded mere platitudes
in calling attention to the principles which
should control the professional conduct
of lawyers.
But many of the most eminent men,
bers of the bar have confessed to the
habit of frequently reviewing the most
elementary principles of conduct in order
to make certain that they had not uncon,
sciously deviated from them. The careful
mariner frequently consults his compass
and his chart. The artist turns constant
ly from his work to his model. AS the
courts so often say to the grand in
quests, so | say to you, Your duties are
briefly and clearly prescribed in the oatf
which you have taken"-to support anC
defend the constitution. How gibly tn,
words slip from our lips, and with how
little realization of their meaning. Al
that Is comprehended in that grand wor,
loyalty" is here expressed.
These constitutions embody all that th
struggles ana the sufteringS of our am
cestors have wrested from the hands o
human power and selfish greed from
Runnymede to AppomatoX. They embod,
the ripe fruit of the highest thoughts 0
the profoundest thinkers of all past ages
Every letter is traced in martyr blood
Every sentence represents the travail o
heroic souls We are chosen custodians t.
preserve from desecration or pollution
this palladium of humanity's progress
Well rpSOlVp that Sal6Sb m
suade us to commit, or permit any stat
to be placed upon its fair pages
THE LAWYERS OBLIGATION.
That you will discharge your duties wit
fidelity to the court well as to tn
client
Fidelity to client requires honesty. in
dustry, pertinacity. An enlightened re
gard for self-interest would seem a SUI
hcient incentive to this virtue. Yet tn
seductive temptation to prefer preser
gain to future success, and the Yer
human aversion to unremitted labor max
1t necessary for us to often review on
relations to our clients, that we may /
sure that they deserve the appellatio
fidelity. The relations of lawyers to IL
court are of the most delicate and sacre
character. The temptations to violal
this duty are the most subtle to which
lawyer is subjected There is the grea
est danger that the idea of the court sha
become confused with the person of II
Judge, Wnel III lacts ne Should De TO
the embodiment of abstract justic
Again when the court sets itself in al
tagonsm to our course, we are in dang,
of treating 1t like our antagonists at II
bar ana of justifying ourselves in II
resort to any method by which the OF
position may be overcome. In the he;
of legal conflicts we are often so po
sessed by the rage of battle" that "
are ready to cast discretion to the wind
and sacrifice any ethical consideration
success.
From these dangers we can certain
escape only by keeping constantly
mind the lawyers high function as
priest in the temple of justice, The la
must be to him more precious than n
highest fee, more dear than his be
client more desirable than success. III
court must be to him the oracle of Ju
tce, whose person Is to be always +
spected, whose confidence never betraye
whose judgment is always yielded I
This involves no cringing subserVienc
Honest zeal and respectful pertinac