The news & observer., 1897-07-18
WHAT A LAWYER MAY DO.


high type of the most scholarly and
broad-minded citizen. In all the great
conflicts for human liberty and equal
rights the lawyer has been the leader.
Every now and then some superficial
men, indignant because some unworthy
member of the legal fraternity has not
lived up to the ideals Of the profession,
rails out against all lawyers and seeks
to array men of other callings against
them If it has Il measure of success for
a time, it soon reacts as does every other
attempt to work injury TO worthy men.
There is not room to doubt that the
public expect great things of the lawyer
He is expected to set the standard of
the highest honor and truest courtesy.
When he fails, the criticism is com
mensurate with the high expectations.
The time was when it did not injure the
practice of lawyer if he had the drink
infrmity. That time has passed forever
The people look to him, not only to eX-
pound the law, but to set an example of
right living to the community, and as
rule this expectation is fully met.
In this day when corporations have
necessarily obtained control of all large
enterprises, a new question of legal eth
/ les growing out of new conditions presses
for solution. There lis no more reason why
lawyer shall not appear for corpora
| ton than for an individual and he ought
| to do anything for a corporation that he
can do for an individual. 1t has never
been regarded as wrong for a lawyer to
defend murderer. Is it wrong for him to
defend a robber corporation?
The people of Indianapolis are fighting
street car ring, charged with frauds so
infamous that a judge, in an unguarded
moment said: 1.-THE head ringster of this
gang ought to be hanged" Ex-President
Harrison is the leading counsel of the
'ring." In a recent sermon, Rev. g. E.
Lasby, a leading clergyman of India
napolis, denounced the ex-President for
representing the gang with the ap-
proval, we are told, of "a large and most
fashionable audience" in these words:
Gould Jefferson or Patrick Henry
or George Washington return to us,
would they not cry out against such
unjust exaction? And can any one
imagine the President of a street
railroad whose actual value is ST.
| 100000, but whose watered stock and
bonds have value Of $6,O00,0O0, ap-
preaching George Washington and
offering him $4,000 to justify the
greed of the corporation and defend
it's iniquitous actions from the COM
mon people?"
This is a very severe arraignment of
York World seems to think so, for after
quoting the preachers structures, the
World says:
''This is typical of the sentiments
of most of the American people on
the subject of legal ethics The
plain man cannot understand why a
sum of money paid to a man to
procure immunity for a gang of
thieves should be clean money just
because it is called retaining fee.'
And it is to be feared that all the pro-
tests of the lawyers will not avail to
change the present popular view.
''The trouble is that the public con-
science clingS to Eha old instincts of
right and wrong and refuses TO be-
come educated up to these refined
and subtle moral Standards
1t also says that "after the manner Of
the many eminent lawyers who practice
under the new code of legal ethics" ex-
President Harrison has sold to the ring
not only his legal knowledge but also his
ence." Is not this statement altogether
too sweeping and severe?
Is the lawyer who appears for the
ring" any worse than the business man
who makes contracts with it for his per-
sonal benefit? He is, because the lawyer
is regarded as in a sense public officer.
His is profession in which, while Sc
curing a fair trial for the worst criminal,
he may not make merchandise of his ex-
allied position.
There is much less room to criticize
the ex-President because he is the leading
counsel of 'ring" in the courts than
there is of those lawyers who as lobbyists
and corruptionists help to procure char
ters and special privileges by the doubt
full methods of the professional lobby
ist A line ought to be draWn-and
drawn sharply-between the lawyer who
represents great corporations in their
cases in the courts and those who sell
their illegal knowledge and also their
personal character and personal influ
ence" to control legislatures, courts and
juries for ends injurious to the general
public In this day when money carries
an undue influence, and the people just
| Ir oondapp tha unworthy lawvpr who