The Washington times., 1905-05-13

TO the Editor OF The Washington Times:
1 have read the editorial in The Times
Of Sunday. May I. on THE Duty OF the
Bench" It Is well and ably written.
l was very much impressed by the
following statement:
The visible blotg upon the bar OF the
District Of Columbia have already been
POINTED out with sufficient particularly
There is not a judge upon the District
bench who does not, or who cannot for
the asking, know what they are: there
is lot a practicing attorney of ten
years standing who could not, If he
would, put his hand upon the persons
who know the facts about these mat
ters. and, knowing, ought to prefer
charges against our criminals-at-law-
While the law, like religion in its best
form. should rob the earth of nothing
but It's sorrows, yet 1t Is sad COM
mentary upon the noblest of professions
that the law has been made odious To
countless thousands, and held up 70
ridicu1e of the universal world from
Shakespeare 10 Dickens, because OF the
methods OF those who misused the law
the criminals Goldsmith, In
."rhe Traveller expressed his contempt
when he said:
Laws grind the poor, and rich men
rule the law
Charles Maci1iin, the celebrated Scotch
writer and critic. disguised with the
Sinking and shaking of terininals-at-
the-bar," turned his wrath upon the
law, and said:
"Hocus-Pocus Science"
1.-THE law is sort Of hocus-pocus
science that smiles in yer face while
it picks yer pocket; and the glorious
uncertainty of 1t is mair use TO the
professors than the justice Of it,
Many years after Charles Dickens had
beQueathed the immortal case of Jarn-
dyee against Jarndyce. and the Bard
welI-Piekwick suit for damages. TO the
laughter of mankind, ne was asked If
in those two cases he had really ex-
press@ his true feeling for the law. I.
myself, a boy at the time, asked him the
question He replied that he believed
what St. Paul said in his Epistle to
Timothy. that the law is good If a
man use it lawfully"
It will be thirty-six years next Au-
at Gad:s Hi9 Place say. in his rich.
resonant. delightful voice, that it was
not SO much the evasion, procrastina-
ton, spoliation aud botheration of the
court OF chanceFy that he was condemn
ing. or the motions and counter-motions.
joinders and reioinders. pleas and eoun.
ter-pleas which exhausted patience,
courage, hope and finances, but the '.tIn-
blushing, selfish, sordid criminality of
tricasters who used the law TO fleece
clients. grind the poor and crush the
| helpless.
To the everlasting honor of the Eng
| fish bar, 1t must be said that It is uni
| veEsaiiy conceded to be learned and
igh-principled. While have the honor
| TO be a member of the bar of the Dis
/ trict of Columbia, am not in actise
practice IN its courts. and it may there
| fore be unbeeening In me to speak,
much more to suggest; but as an officer
! of the court / am constrained to say
that it is, indeed, very unfortunate THAI
the duty of proceeding against members
! OF the bar for violating sections 21S. 219.
30 or any other section OF the Code, or
for violating the higher code Of profes-
sional ethics, should be placed upon the
| District Attorney, unless it be on the
theory that the -unprofessionaIs are
| regarded as common malefactors to be
looked after by the District Attorney.
| IN this State as in many others, the bar
/ association having, TO quote the lam
| guage of The Times "a profound and
| abiding respect and admiration for the
| honor. dignity, and value Of the legal
profession" takes cognizance of acts of