The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-07-12

man is in his business life, sc VII, 10
become in his private life.
The man who attempts to play DR..
Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde invariably suf.
fers the Doctors fate mentally and
morally.
The direct result, the inevitable re-
suit, the logical conclusion of false
standard of morality in business is
the corruption of our laws and their
Interpretation.
The man who in his business life
shields himself under the fact that he
Is but one of an aggregation, mem
Der of q syndicate, an officer of cor
po1atlon, director Of o trust, the
man, who takes as his code of morals
that which has been publicly an
nounced by many men, viz, that GER
tala things were done because they
were not forbidden by the statutes
that man is sowing the seeds eff social i.
ism. anarchy and despoti5m.
The man who makes the ouly metes
aud bounds Of right and wrong the
enactments of the Legislature and the
Interpretation thereof by the courts,
has for his God, his religion, his con-
science and his guide, o movable
standard and the tendency of the
movement is downward.
The man in reality asserts might is
right so long as it is not forbidden by
statute; that the exercise Of merciless
power is justified so long as it has
not been expressly prohibited by hu.
man law.
Man is always keen to invent a new
way of perpetuating profitable
wrong, and if the wrong to him is q
wrong only when, if and after it has
been so defined by the legislature.
he endeavors to deal with the legis-
lsture.
The impairment Of our legislature
follows.
If might is right SO long as it is not
forbidden by statute, then if the at
ute is in the way the first step Is to
get it out Of the way.
Statutes are man made foundations,
and men are human; the majority Of
them are influenced by their environ.
ment and their concomitants, hence
power aud capital supply the CONGO.
infants which result in the removal
by legislatures and municipal bodies
OF the offensive restrictions.
| will not pass by the responsibility
OF the lawyer in these matters.
It is said that when a man retains
a lawyer he retains the lawyers con-
science as well.
Many lawyer has sunk his indi-
vidualism under his retainer.
Less frequently We hear of the law
yer who says to his client, "That mar
be legal but it is wrong and will not
approve of it or aid you in the doing
OF it." The lawyer too often advises
his client, his corporation and the
directors how far they may go with
out subiecting themselves to q civil
or criminal liability. Less frequently
he raises the question of right and
wrong. He says he is not there for
that purpose.
In so doing the lawyer commits his
clients to the doing of things against
a third party for which, if the lawyer
himself were the third party, he would
feel justly resentful.
Too many lawyers are forgetting to.
day the high standard set for them in
the doctrine that the attorney is the
keeper of his clients conscience. And
these lawyers are pros porous, some of
them are the leaders of the bar and as
such they are admired by the most Of
u.s..
l cannot here and now lead you
through all the ramifications of the
evils which are burning back of tho
smoke of modern criticism. I have
shown, I think, that these evils,
which are undermining the foundation
Of American business and the insti.
tuition Of American government, are
founded in the weakness Of American
standards OF greatness and if not
'beoked will ultimately undermine
American character. Ny point is that
American character" mesns your
'haraoter and mine, and il does seem