Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-05

DiscreditabIe Practice Revealed by
the Insurance InVestiERtion.
New York Tribune

New 1orh lfluune.
Lobbying is a legitimate business II lesiu-
mately conducted. There is no reason why
n lawyer should not appear before a legis-
lative committee or present arguments TO
individual lawmakers in behalf Of a client
interested in pending measure, provided
he does 1t openly and confines himself to
the proper use Of his persuasive powers
Evidence taken before the Armstrong COM
mittee has shown. however. that many
members of the bar by no means thus limit
the scope Of their activities. Instance after
instance has been brought to attention OF
the employment of lawyers under secret re-
tanners to serve interests to which they ap-
parently owed no allegiance. Gentlemen
under the guise of disinterCstcd citizens
wrote articles and appeared before commit
tees in the endeavor to manifest an APP
parent weight of public opinion with refer
ence to certain subjects, when they were
really paid agents trying to advance the
interests of an employer.
Such methods are a fraud upon the lcgis-
lature and upon the public. and they arc a
dscredit to the legal profession. The old
and noble conception Of the lawyer was that
he openly represented a client and pleaded
his case before the courts. The man who
belonged to the profession. true to that
llBn nllSSlOns NOulh lldNt SUI lANh W NAM
himself the agent of a secret intrigue. He
was neither a detective nor a hired servant,
but self-respecting minister of justice.
When a lawyer lends his professional tai
ents and reputation to underhand schemes
he puts aside all these old standards and IL
false to his trust.
In Massachusetts and Wisconsin, we be
lieve. no person is permitted to go before
a legislative committee or undertake work
as lobbyist without entering his appear
ance truly stating the interest which he
represents. In view of the recent dis
closures, there is apparently need of SINH
lar restrictions in this state. And they
might go further. New standards might
well be prescribed for the bar in general
We have done away with the old laws Of
champerty' and maintenance, with the idea
of making justice easier to the poor. and
there are those who defend this letting
down of the bars which formerly hedged
about the practice of the law. II would
be well to consider II we have not gone
too far and made law too much OF a
speculative business. 1t would be well.
| also, to consider forbidding secret retain
ers OF any kind. Many corporations i'm
this way attach to their interests promi-
nent men in all parts OF the country who
really render them no purely lCgal service.
They are simply depended upon to use
their influence politicians or citizens as
the interests OF their employers may
direct. II they We're the open agents Of
the employer the public could appralse
at it's proper value their pcrsua sion. but
when they disguise their paid work under
the cloak of dlsinterested citizenship they
not merely misuse their profession. but
| they wrong their country; for our institu-
lions are founded on the theory that each
| mans opinion as it goes TO determine pub
lie policy will be honestly his own and not
purchased. The man who sells his voice
as a citizen in the public councils IL just
as false to the state as the man who
sells his vote
Members of the bar should be forbidden
to do any sort OF professional work under
false pretenses, and. whether or not they
should be forced in all cases to reveal
the identity of their clients they should
be compelled in all their transact to
| let it be known that they are acting under
retainers This reform is one inevitably
suggested by the insurance inquiry and
measures to accomplish It might naturally
come along with those which will be looked
for to cure the abuses more specifically
connected with insurance administration.