The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-26
THE ETHICS OF THE LEGAL PRO-
FESSION.


| shut UP the saloons. A week ago 1T was
given out that the liquor dealers would
not spend dollar in the campaign and
would leave the issue to be settled by
| the business men of the community. That
bluff didn't fool anybody.
In yesterdays paper it was printed
| that the LIQUOR men held a conference to
| plan for the campaign. and it is stated
that they have decided to retain" law
yers to manage their campaign. That Is
| the report that is in circulation. There
| is a difference between liquor dealers
meeting and deciding to retain lawyers
to conduct their fight and lawyers hiring
| themselves for any such purpose. 1t is
| true that some lawyers, loving a dollar
more than the ethics of their calling,
| have disgraced their profession by selling
| their services to bar-keepers to run their
campaigns. But they are few in num-
bers and they have forthwith lost stand
ing in their profession and forfeited the
| respect of the people
Understand u.s. please 1t is legitimate
| for lawyer to accept a fee to appear for
| or against any measure before legis-
ative committee, whether for liquor men
or temperance men; it is legitimate for
upon any law or an election under any
| law; it is legitimate for a lawyer to APP
pear in the courts or before a registrar
upon. a legal question growing out of
| registration or the right to vote; it is le-
Ultimate for a lawyer to take a fee in
case such an election is contested in the
courts. A lawyer IN such cases is not
violating the ethics of his profession to
| take fee in instances above cited from
what he calls retainer" to conduct the
campaign in a fight when the people are
| trying to overthrow the saloon, he is do.
| ing an unprofessional act for which he
| ought to be disbarred and for which he
| would be disbarred if the Bar Association
| did its duty.
A lawyer is a citizen before he is
lawyer. In the question of shutting up
the saloons in Raleigh, he is interested as
a citizen. His position in the community
| is one that calls upon him to take stand
and throw the weight of his influence
| without pay either as a so-called Zee or
| otherwise) upon the side that accords
with his convictions. If he believes in
| keeping the saloons open, he will vote
against the proposition to close them, and
| tives. If he believes that they should be
closed, let him declare his position and
take a stand for better Raleigh. But
let him uphold the honor and dignity of
his great profession and resent the asser-
| ton of liquor dealers that they can hire
| lawyers to conduct their campaign. Let
them conduct it themselves and let every
member of the bar resent the imputation
put upon the profession!
| Suppose the liquor dealers should meet
| and decide to pay some editor to give him
| the use of his columns for presenting their
opposition to closing up the shops where
| drunkards are made, and suppose an editor
would agree for a specific sum to adj
vocate their cause and conduct their cam
paign. The editor would be on the same
| footing as the lawyer who would accept
money to manage their campaign. Where
| in lies the difference, if there is any?
Nobody would respect an editor who
| would thus sell his columns. Is the
| lawyer who for pay runs their campaign
any better than the editor who would
| sell his columns?
This is question that deeply concerns
| the legal profession and the whole com.
| munity. The profession of law is an
| honorable one. 1t has always had the re-
spect of the people because it has de-
| served it. Latterly-for the truth ought
| to be told-too many lawyers have for
| money lODDleu Legislatures, IOWH COun-
ellis, County Commissioners; they have
| sought to unduly control jurymen or pack
| juries; have accepted pay for promoting
political or personal booms; and have for
] money conducted campaigns for saloons
in prohibition or dispensary fights. Com
pared with the whole number of the legal
profession, these have been few in mum
ber Some of them have, without reflec-
| tion become guilty of this unprofessional
conduct. The result has been that their
course has injured the legal profession.
1t does not stand as high in popular APP
prevail as it did in 1890, let US say. 1t is
| wrong that the majority of the profess
sion should suffer for the sins of the min
| GRITTY, but the public do not discriminate