The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-01
GEORGIA LAWYERS
AT WARM SPRINGS
IN THEIR ANNUAL MEETING.
NEW LAWS ARE SUGGESTED TO
THE LEGISLATURE.

of His sOn-The Late Judge Pope
Barrow ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Action
Taken on Report of Committee on
Judicial Administration.
Warm Springs. Ca, June 3O.-Tke
annual meeting of the Georgia Bar
Association convened here to-day, with
many distinguished members of the
bench and bar from over the state
in attendance. Hon. P. w. Meldrin,
of Savannah, president of the associa-
ton is presiding. Col. Meldrim pre-
scented his report.
AS to the administration of the law
Col. Meldrim said:
Ability, learning. experience, in
dustry, integrity and executive power
bring good prices in the markets of
the world and if people will not prop
erly compensate able and upright
judges for the valuable services rem
dered then the judges will have TO
leave the bench and return to the bar
or enter upon other fields of human
endeavor. 1t is true that the bench is
the most dignified and honorable posi-
ton that any man can occupy, but dig
nifty will not clothe women and chill
dren and honor. is. not accepted by
tradesnnen in payment of bills.
TOO little regard is paid to the fit
ness of clerks and sheriffs, and yet
without efficient court officers there is
not only delay in the work of the court,
but failure in doing substantial justice.
A careless, not to say corrupt, clerk,
and a weak, not to say cowardly, sher-
if, can render Valueless the efforts of
the ablest judge and can bring into
disrepute the administration of the
law. Personal popularity often elects
to these important offices persons fire.
uuently not possessed of a single quail
fication, and to make matters worse.
about the time the officers have learned
to discharge their duties with fair de-
gree of promptness and ability, they
are displaced to make way for others
who in turn must be educated to the
work.
But at last it is the lawyer who
inspires respect for the administration
of the law, or who degrades it. A sim
gle ignorant clown admitted to the
bar lowers the level of legal scholar
ship, while one disreputable character
causes to fall into disrepute great
and noble profession.
The Trusts.
THAT mighty combinations of cap
lldi are DGlAcNGu W NC LAd0Slll Win
danger to the rs@ablic is best evil
denced by the fa& that both politi-
cal parties demand legislative action.
that the message Of presidents and
governors direct attention to the
threatened peril, and that state and
federal legislatures have passed vari-
Gus acts seeking to prevent these COM
binations, which may add field to
field, wealth to wealth, power to
49,. 60,
government itself.
1--WE cannot, I apprehend, obtain
relief by separate state action, for
state cannot exclude corporation en-
gagged in interstate commerce, nor tax
such commerce, nor tax agents engaged
in it, nor fix the rates for carrying it;
nor exclude articles of such commerce
or persons coming or going out of the
state. The remedy, I fear, is only to
come from federal legislation, and it
will never come from that, or any
other source. until all our people are
taught to reverence the law. This
education of respect for the law must
come from the mothers of the land,
the teachers in the schools, the pulpit
and the press.
IAN persons should be required to
render a prompt discharge of every
legal duty and from this liability
neither lawyer nor jurist should be
exempt.
The Profession of Law.
1.-THE law is a profession. not trade,
and success in It consists in more than
money getting. The personal interest
of the lawyer should be merged in the
welfare of his client. and every honor
able effort should be made to avoid
unnecessary litigation. If litigation re-
suits then it is war. but honorable
war, and in its conduct the true law
yer the man who deserves success,
must face with a high courage every
danger The frenzy of the mob should
not deter him from doing his duty as
he understands it. and judicial arro-
gance should not overawe him into
servile submission to erroneous ruling
or decision. He should be bound by
no letters of gold, blinded by no pre-
judice of creed or party; but, deaf to
all cries of ignoble self-interest he
should ever be the loyal lover of his
jealous mistress. the law. He should
bear reverses with fortitude. and re-
ceive success with modesty. He should
remember that good cause requires
no abuse of the other side. and that
a bad one is not helped by it. That
violence of gesture is not grace and
loudness of voice is not eloquence
That dognatic assertion does not con-
vince and vituperation does not per-
suade.
1.-The lawyer alone is the true re-
spector of the law. who. with clear
brain 'and pure heart, with high and
noble, purpose, with labor that feels
no WEAKNESS and courage that knows
no faltering. guards every right en-
hrusted to him as sacredly as he does
his professional honor or his own fair
name"
Disregard of LAW.
AS to the disregard of law Col. Mel
drim said:
That there is a want of respect for
the law in some sections of our coun.
try Is manifest I do not refer to
these sudden, violent outbursts of
passion, when a mob takes into its
blood stained bands a person suspect
ed of crime and wreaks its vengeance
upon the shrinking, pleading wretch,
but to these more insidious attacks.
which, having ostensibly and perhaps
sincerely for their purpose, the adj
vancement of the law and the purifi-
cation of morals. really engender dis
respect for the law and the purifica-
ton of morals. really engender disre-
gard for the law"
SensntiOnalism in Newspapers.
Col. Meldrim touched upon sensa-
tionalism in the newspapers: There
are few forces to-day" he said, that
make more strongly for good or evil
than that Of the press. and yet, there
is seldom a great legal cause pending
when some reporter, frequently with
a theory of his own. or with preju-
dice, interest or favor. for party
or counsel, or friends of either. does