Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-01-28
Francis lynde Stetson Treats Sub
iect Before Bar Association.
LAWYER NOT MERE M0uEY.CET1ER
Vet He Must GAIN a living-What is
Warted Not So Much Legislation
as Mustn't Fear
Pubic Opinion.

BUFFALO. Jan On. The ethics Of
;he hsal profession wer'' sharply and
clearly dr1in"d today by Francis
!.ynd" Strtsun. ci New York. prcsi
dent Of the New York state Ear A.
sOciatinn. in an address on The Law.
y'r'E Livelihood before Il meeting OF
tn" bar association mere. During he
course Of his speech. Mr.. Slrtst II
spOk" OF IN" popular resentment
against certain corporations and said
tina, undoubtedly Their" will be- furth.
tr experiments in legislation. bO h
stat" and fedora! to IN" continued re-
preston # business enterprise Mr.
StctS0n said:
What is the object of our artivi-
ties in the practice of law For n"
rv"rwht Inning majority Of lawyers.
there is. and Their" can be 1ut one
answer, TO gain living Notwith.
standing our splendid opportunities OF
public service often to be awaited OF
and never t. be- diSr"earded the press
ing duly of most is to support ones
family and T. keep our Of narrowing
debt
Twc-fold Error Of Money-se,:er.
Bat the lawyer who chooses or
who pursnrs his prOfe> sion primarily.
or even principally. as Il money Ct tier
calls into twofold error. First he Sc
.ects fer his purpose All inferior in
strument. fer. as already observed
in money making, as IN he opn0rtuni-
ties for mOn"y-making. tn" lawyer
agS behind tn" trader of equal ah!ll-
ty. and second. he compromises his
own ,on" AMI corr"spondin2ly III"
-ianding of his profession. which VIII
b" privileged so long. and only so
long. as it preserves its distinction
as a learned profession TIL" law
yer Iutcl2SSed by the merchant IN
II" competition for great riches will
Win only patronizing condrsccnsiOn.
But ii he shall retain and maintain
mis- traditional familiarity with the
science Of the law. ent, ring into and
shaping the affairs IF even the mos
r"sourceful layman. he Will command
and will receive from the public as
well as from his fellows, respectful
consideration and esteem.
TO the m"r" money-making law
yers indeed the love of money Will
prove the root OF all evil.
Thu. lawyer Is lOund always to ad
wise conformity to The clear require
n.ents OF every valid law As
breach OF this duty might involve con-
siderable personal Inconvenience. We
NAV assume that il is observed BY
those who are conscious OF its exist
ence. How painful may become tn"
performance of this duty none know
better than some Cf uS who at times
have been compelled to insist that
At the cot of socia! oppr1br,nm the
client must tell the whole truth. or
at other times have been CompeE>d
to decline &c interpOSo defense de-
,lred g.. some tender hearted ami
erring and distressed man or woman
A Matter Of Judgment.
whether or not a lawyer shat!
give advice as to any particular tran
action NOT within the express pro-
hibition of law. CT of morals. as al
ready intimated. is 4 question OF his
own Judgment. But his Judgment
must he exercised with a full seas
of his responsibility as a man and
citizen. and with the certain eXpecta-
ton of prblic disapprOva! II his par
ticipatiGn shall appear to be cut OF
harmony with his general reputation
or shall seem to Involve injury 10
the public Interests.
Mr.. StetSon. referring to state
ment Of former Senator Lindsay. CT
Kentucky. that great corporations
are proving themselves the greatest
for evil man has ever de-
visad." said:
Judge LINDSAY is entitled to high
respect but l would venture to ques-
ton whether in and Of itself the cor
porate form of organization is the
specific germ of the ills depicted or
pre- dictsd by him. The dislike ana
popular resentment Of that extraordi-
narllv successful! business known as
the Standard Oil TrusT eventuated
uricr to the Incorporation Of the hold
ers of the trust certificates: the
development Of the great
Carnegie Steel business through
a partnership whose forty[four mem
beers preceded and formed the corpor-
alton OF 1899: the greatest financial
transactions are conducted not by cor
porations but by unincorporatcd bank
ers and syniicatej: even the New
York Stock Exchange pFrsonified IN
de- the names OF Wall Street" is not