Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-08-27
PrReGNa rHE PRoFEsstoM

In the annual address delivered last
week by President Tucker OF the Ameri-
can Bar association a pertinent but in
conclusive discussion is INDUCED on
the need Of enforcing higher standards
among members of the bar by purging
the profession of those who disgrace it.
mo more difficult question can be pre-
scented to this association or to those
auxiliary associations in the different
states" declared President Tucker,
than that of purging its membership
Of the unworthy member who brings
dlshonor upon the whole profession
Emphasis is laid at the same time on
the obstacles certain to be met with in
the personal, social and political influ-
ences which render 1t trying and EN-
barrassing to bring the guilty to Justice
yet 1t is insisted that IL the legal pro-
fession is to receive a reward which is
its due and to accomplish the high work
for which it is destined, this work must
be undertaken and carried out fear
lessly and thoroughly.
But the only suggestion Of a remedy
is 1.-The adoption in all schools of law
which are preparing young men for the
profession of an enlarged and compre-
hensive course on the subject of legal
ethics, to be taught by men of lofty
ideals, which they try to live up to and
not merely talk Of" Teaching the
principles of legal ethics and common
honesty I'm law schools would, doubt
less, be small step in the right direc-
ton, but the incubation of moral plati-
tudes to aspiring practitioners would
lose all It's effect if the student were
only to be graduated into the company
of experienced lawyers using every I'M
scrupulous means to win questionable
cases and secure unearned fees from
wealthy clients.
To go no further than those auxiliary
bar associations to which President
Tucker refers, the question may well be
asked, When did they ever make it Il
practice to expel members for unpro-
fessional conduct? Cases have re-
peatedly come to notice in which al
legged lawyers have been caught in the
very act Of jury bribing, and while the
courts have occasionally inflicted made
quate penalties, the bride giving lawyers
continue to be members in good stand
ing.
Every time case of perjury is un-
covered it is a safe wager that lawyer
can be found at the bottom of it, but
the real culprit usually succeeds in hid
ing behind his puppet. Blaclleg law
yers playing the role of blackmailers
sometimes openly, but more often under
cover, are altogether common, but the
expulsion of any attorney from bar
association on account of Matchmaking
proclivities has not Teen recorded.
Lawyers admitted to the bar have even
been known to go on the witness stand
and refuse to answer questions on the
ground that their testimony might in
criminate themselves, without appar-
emily impairing their eligibility to bar as
ISOLATION membership. When it comes to
plOStiNhNihS NhN iNSoi bAOlSSbiOh AOi NhN
pay of hirellng lobbyists, retained to per-
vert legislation at state and national
| capitals the badge of dishonor causes re-
vulsion chiefly among those who are
outside the code of legal ethics.
The effective way to purge the pro-
fession is TO administer purgatives.
Whenever the crooked lawyer is I'M
masked he should not only be spewed
out of reputable bar associations, but
put out of business by disbarment pro-
ceedings. If the code Of legal ethics is
not strictly enforced it is because the
lawyers do not want to enforce It. and
IL the legal profession fails to inspire
the respect it once commanded it is be-
cause the lawyers themselves fail to live
up to the standards and ideals they
would have taught in the law schools.