The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-08
THE COUNTRY LAWYER
AND HOW HE HAS COMPARED
WITH HIS CITY CONFRERE.
CLOING BANQUET A BRILLIANT AFFAIR
Toasts Responded to by Capt. Price, Jwtc
Walter Clark, Judge kcRae, Hons.
A. N. Waddel and Locke
Craig, T. F. Ku'tz.
Officers Elected.

Morehead. y. c., July 7.-(Edtorial
Correspondence. There has not been
a time in the history of North Carolina
when the lawyers were not leaders IN
legislation and in public affairs, from
Iredel's day to the present time. There
are now about eight hundred practiclng
lawyers in North Carolina-a grand
army of legal luminaries. There is no
man among them like Saul who towers
head and shoulders above his brethren.
We have no Badger or Bartholomew
Moore who is universally given first
place. but there never was time when
the general average of amllty among
the legal profession was SO high as now.
/ was talking last night with Il proml-
nent Georgian who is spending the sum
mer here He had just returned from
a session Of the Bar Association.
Il am greatly pleased he said, with
the looks of the body. 1t is a conven-
ton of picked men, and saw many
men who have the face and bearing of
big men. / knew that there were
some very able lawyers in the larger
cities of the State, but / hardly sup
posed the bar of the smaller towns
that your country lawyers have attained.
They talk like scholars, too, as well
as lawyers, showing broad culture.
The State is rich in it's bar
| reminded him that Judge Tourgec
after residence of eight or ten years
in the State, gave it as his opinion that
the leading members of the bar of the
country towns of North Carolina were
z |rav af1ah finn la tllp al
questions of law for the great men OF
the cities. Your big city lawyer is Il
specialist, he said, lacking that grasp
and breadth of the big North Carolina
lawyer As matter of fact, few of
the States biggest lawyers have lived in
the biggest cities, though after they have
made regulations they grayitated to the
cities Take our Chief Justices since
the war when the trend toward the cities
has-been greater than before 1861. We
have had five. and not one of them was
a city man, all having won their spurs III
the country or in a small village. though
some of them were appointed from our
cities. Judge Pearson was resident OF
the country. had big farm. and did
not even live at the county seat. Judge
Smith grew to greatness and big practice
in the village of Murfreesboro. 1t WAS
in Asheville, when it was a small town,
that Judge Merrimon made the repnta-
tion that called him to Raleigh. Judge
Shepherds ability and fitness were
demonstrated as a member of the Wash
ingtoi bar. and Judge Faircloth was
elevated to the position of Chief Justice
from tI0ldsboro. not one of the biggest
half dozen towns Of the State. The
late Hon. John Manning, himself an
able leader of the bar for many years,
lived in the village of Pittshoro and
always maintained that the environment
of a village contributed in many ways
to lawyers growth in the fundamen-
tai principles of the profession. In
North Carolina today some OF the biggest
lawyers live in small villages though the
fees in large cities being larger is tempt
ing many of the strongest men to go to
the cities.
Among the 500 lawyers in the State
there are men wanting in the high attri-
butes of professional honor. there are
men who ought to be unfrocked, but in
comparison with the whole profession
they are few in number. The law
yers as rule are among the States
best and most public spirited leaders.
Not long ago was requested to fur
nish the name of a public-spirited man
at every county seat in the State who
had patriotism enough to give some
time to a matter that had nothing bur
the public good in it. / made out the
list with some care. and when it was
finished ] was surprised to see that the
names of the lawyers, like that of
Abou Ben Adem's lied all the rest
II is the mission of the Bar Associa-
ton to raise the dignity and tone Of the
professona profession that has furn-
ished most Of the cOuntrys Lawmakers
and public leaders in all its past. Tho
lawyers are looked to to lead in their
communities, and it is fortunate that in
most communities in North Carolina
there are men in the profession who
are worthy to lead and to lead in The
right direction
The speeches ard Debates in the AS
ISOLATION have shown high order of
ability, demonstrating that the profess
sion is composed of able men who have
the gift of speech as Of yore.
J. d
OFFICERS ELECTED.
Atlantic Totel, Morehead City, n c.,
July 1.-iSpecial)-T Bar Association
adjourned sine die tonight. The selec-
ton of the next place Of meeting was
left to the executive committee. The
election Of officers resulted as follows:
President, Chas. +. Warren. OF Wash
ington. n c.; Vice-Presidents: First
District Thos. q. Skinner, of Hartford;
Second District, Thos. n. Hill, Of Hall
fax: Third District. G. NJ. Cooke. o.
Lonisburg: Fourth District. w. G.. Nun
roe. of Goldsboro: Fifth District. Victor
,. Bryant, Of Durham; Sixth District
Alfred NJ. Waddell, Of Wilmington;
Seventh District. Samuel H. McRae. o.
Fayetteyllle: Eighth District. Chas
Price. or Salisbury; Ninth District. c.
Il. Watson, of Winston; Tenth District
S. l.. Witherspoon, of Newton; Eleventh
District, Chas. w. Iillett, Of Charlotte: