The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-13
Is \ LAWYER \ MAN WHO HAS
TALENT FOR SALE?"

During the last session of the North
Carolina Legislature when railroad
lawyers swarmed in the Capitol to de-
feat the bill to reduce passenger fares
Mr.. Laughinghouse, who was justly in
dignant at the lobbying of lawyers
declared that il looked like the man
was right who said, "A lawyer Is
man who has talents for hire"
The appointment of El!hu Root a.
Secretary Of State recalls the remark
of Mr.. LaughinGhouse. 1t is well
known that personally Mr. Root is
above dishonesty and that he obeys
the law. and yet when the Tweed ring
was pIundering New York, Root was
the attorney Of the corruption!sts.
The contrast presented between
Elihu Root and Samuel Jones Tilden
at that time illustrates the difference
between two able and successful law
vcrs. When Tilden saw the city plum
dered and the people debauched by
the Tweed ring, he felt that he had
duty to perform as citizen, and with
out rejecting that he could make big
fees by defending the Tweed gang. he
organized the forces of honesty In
New York to drive out the ring ana
clean out the metropolitan city. He
gave freely of his time and money
to effect an organization ana TO SUI
I'D the people to high civic righteous
oi,rip -
touch with honest newspapers and en-
couraged them to make public sentl-
ment that would make the continued
depredations impossible. He forgot he
was a lawyer when he thought of hi"
higher duty as citizen. When Tilden
and Whitney and other lawyers were
dedicating their services To clean gov
eminent because they felt they owed
a public duty. what was Elihu Root
doing? Nothing. Later. when Mr.
TiIden had Tweed on the run, MIR.
Root became the attorney OF the
Tweed ring and advised them and de-
Tended them. He was of course, APP
pearing only as an attorney. Is Their"
no time when a lawyer will refuse 10
sell his talents to corrupt public Of
fcials?
Later, as his reputation grew, Mr.
Root became the attorney or most "f
the millionaires who wished to rob the
people, through the trusts, without in
curing the penalties of the law. 1t
was Mr.. Root who guided them safety
and showed them how to plow arc m1
the laws against the trusts, AMI Wneo
Mr. Root retired from the Cabinet he
returned to New York to again be-
come attorney of the trust interests
Fresh from their service he becomes
the premier OF an administration that
declares it will execute the anu-trus.
laws Mr. Roosevelt congratulated The
country that Mr.. Root would SIR
render very large income to become
the servant Of the people. In strik-
ing editorial upon Mr. Roots return tc
the Cabinet the New York World cor
cludes IN the following remarkable ut
terances:
eft is always better that attorneys
answering fidelity to the interests o.
their clients should be in the service
of the whole people. In the employ
of private individuals they contribute
altogether too much TO encourages
Mr. Roosevelt shas well said-that
spirit of dumb anger against all laws
and of disbelief in their efficacy
Nobody need ever fear that as Sec
rotary OF State Mr.. Root VIII give a
In
eminent He will serve il as faithful
ly as astutely. and as capably as he
ever served Thomas F. Ryan or any
other client If proof were needed OK
Mr.. Roots single minded devotion to
public interests when he is public
official it would be necessary only L"
refer to the Dady contracts AS a
practicing lawyer. Mr.. Root. IN cor
sideration of IS. 900, it IS said. gave an
| opinion that Mr. Dady right TO ce.-
| tain sewer and paving contracts In