Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-10-30
atliseellansuas 8eading.
AN APPEAL TO THE LAWYERS.
It Is Possible That They Can Improve
tho Situation.

It Is Possible That They Can Improve
tho Situation.
We are going to address an appeal to
the lawyers of the state. We hope 1t
will not be considered presumptuous, or
treated as such. 1t is intended simply
as a message and a suggestion from
an humble newspaper, an humble citi-
zen. in what is believed to be very
grave crisis in the affairs Of this state.
Gentlemen Of the Bar we are ap-
preaching the time, II We have not al
ready reached it, when the people Of
the state have lost confidence in the
courts and in their ability If not their
disposition to administer justice.
We have heard during the past few
years-and to be more explicit, during
the past few months-stories like this
going up and down the state: why.
they won't do anything with him. He
has money and friends and can get
good lawyers, and he can get his jury,
and. why, Of course, he will come clear
| Now, gentlemen, you know these
stories have been going up and down
the state. Have they been true-has
there been any justification for all these
rumors. what have you to
say?
| Now, gentlemen, II these things are
true we have reached woful state Of
affairs in South Carolina. II they are
not true we submit-in all due defer
ence-that it is your duty to show that
they are not true. II they are true Is
it not your duty to remedy this evil?
You lawyers-or attorneys at law"
as you prefer to call yourselves-are
especially answerable. You are, 1t Is
true, in a sense no more than ordinary
citizens, but in another sense you are
more than that. You pursued a special
course of study in order to be admitted
to practice law, and when admitted to
practice law you swore to uphold the
law. Are you doing it-are you carry
ing out the oath you took?
Let's go plainly into this thing, gen.
tdemen. Ugly rumors are afloat. 1t Is
charged that juries have been packed
il not bought; that perjured witnesses
have been placed upon the stand, and
that in speeches before the jury learn
ed attorneys have used arguments that
ought not in any sense Of Justice to
have been heard in court room. 1t Is
charged that in the trial Of Eases at
torneys have appealed to political pref
udices and sentimental fancies in order
to secure acquittal for their clients, to
the sacrifice Of all the fair and accept
ed rules Of practice and to the sacri-
flee Of justice.
Gentlemen, are these things true?
Will you be content to answer: Il am
not guilty"
Gentlemen, we do not mean to be un-
necessarily severe upon any one Of you
individually, or upon the lawyers OF
any city or town as a whole. But we
are looking upon this matter from the
standpoint Of a layman and from the
standpoint Of justice.
You lawyers are sworn to uphold the
law. We naturally look to you to do
so; we look to you for justice. But
are you doing it-are you carrying out
your oath? Can you do so until you
condemn the evil practice Of unworthy
members Of your profession?
There are honest and minded
lawyers in South Carolina-indeed the
great majority Of them are men Of this
stamp, men who would scorn to offer
or accept a bribe, men who would de-
nounce any attempt at tampering with
jury in any manner-but, gentlemen,
| if you would maintain confidence In
yourselves and the courts you must
condemn the practices which all admit
exist. And you must take some prac-
tical steps to show the sincerity of your
condemnation.
But it may be asked, What can we
10? We have no evidence of any evil
of any corruption"
Gentlemen, you have the belief Of the
| people of South Carolina. You have
their growing lack Of confidence In
their courts-in their growing lack OF
confidence in you. If this loss Of conf
dence is without foundation, then 1t Is
your duty to show that 1t is unfound-
ed. And If there Is anything, either
now or in the past, or in the future. to
tend to a lack Of confidence In our
courts. then it Is your duty If you wish
for the preservation Of society and for
continuation Of the lawful method Of
settling civil and criminal differences
to prove as speedily as you can that
integrity and justice are still left in
our courts.
Gentlemen, we address this plea to
the high minded and honorable among
you-cannot something be done?
Can you not, in some way. condemn
methods which all Of you must admit
are unprofessional and dishonest and
unfair?
Cannot you, gentlemen, sworn to up
hold the law, do something to restore
confidence in our courts-in the meth
ods the law prescribed for the adminis-
tration Of justice?
| OF course there are among you VINO
will say-and with truthfulness: Il am
clean and honest: l have nothing to do
with all this"
Quite true. gentlemen; but all this
has been done in the name Of the law
yers; it has come to be considered as
legitimate method Of the lawyer-if he
is shrewd enough and has power
enough-to buy jury outright and as
| rhao nly NAV ha.