The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-03
ROAsTs LAWYERS
AND newspapers
President Taft Tells Ohio Stu
dents That Panic is on
Way
DECLARES JUSTICE IS
FREQUENTLY THWARTED
Journals That Attack Good Poll
ticians Are Horrid Muck
Rakers Not Fit 10
Read.

ADA. o., June 3.-Muck- Rakers un-
serupulous lawyers and modern news
papers were severely handled by
President Taft to-day when he told
the graduating class Of Ohio Northern
College of the conditions they will
have TO face In the business, pro-
fessional and political world. The
president predicted business and NJ
nancial panic with In the next decade,
but said the depression will be only
q temporary check to a great wave
Of prosperity and progress.
Upon his arrival at the college the
president encountered a new brand OF
enthusiasm In the noisy greeting the
students. He was hurried through the
crowd Of young men and women to
the assembly hall where the gradual
ing class was gathered. The president
: said In part: @F
1T liz of course Impossible to expect
that the enormous growth In trade
shall continue in the proportion which
we have seen 1t expand during the
last ten years. and IL is reasonable To
suppose that some time within the
next decade there will be some re-ac-
tion or some financial stringency or
perhaps a financial panic. Neverthe-
less the progress that has been is real
business have changed materially In
recent years, and the combination of
instrumentaiities for the reduction In
the cost of producing and selling
things that has never been eaualled In
history OF the world.
Those Lawyers.
Tho men who founded this country.
who defied the power Of England and
spread the seeds of revolution and in
Hasa 49, a t,.z
tons OF civil liberty I'm this country
nearly all were lawyers. Yet one must
recognize that the administration of
Justice in this country has suffered
grteyousty from the intensity with
which lawyers have served their ell
ents and the ifghtness Of the obliga-
ton which they have felt to the pub
lie. as officers of the court and the
( law, To do no injustice.
THE conduct of the defense of Grim
snais in this country and the extremes
to which counsel deem themselves
justified In going TO save their clients
from the Just Judgment of the law
have much TO do with the disgracefui
condition in which we find Its admin
4 fsfration.' The awakened iHnral cen
science of the country can find no bet
ter object for it's influence than IN
making lawyers understand that their
obligation 10 their clients is only TO
see that their clients legal rights are
protected and that they need NOT and
ought not tn lose their own identity rs
officers OF the law In the cause OF their
clients and recklessiy resort TO every
eapcdient to win the cause.
We Seribes.
"Of the profession Of journalism
there Is much TO say. The increase
In the intelligence and discrimination
CT the people has in one way largely
modified the power of the press
The newspapers are taken more
Tor the news they contain th>S for
advice as to the lessons which should
De drawn from IT,
The reputation of paper for ac-
curacy and yeracity is generally ms
well known Az the reputation of n
member of the community. There are
some newspapers that seek to effect
their purposes and control opinion
by an attempted Misrepresentation or
suppression of the facts in respect to
matters attracting pubic attention.
But in the end they do not prevail.
Journalism Is a profession In which
men of discriminating intelligence, OF
hixn courage. OF accurate Judgment. OF
q love OF truth and real patriotism
can find a sphere OF usefulness I'M
exceiied in any other. and such men
are needed. For Ii the standards set
by some OF the most successful of the
newspapers in lack of truth, In coarse
neEs and unfairness OF criticism. shall
not improve in the next generation.
II viii yindicate the pessimists of to-
day.
Il refer to class of newspapers
and OF magazines that are properly
called 'muck-rakers' that rely for their
circulation on The vicious and I'M
founded attacks upon the honesty and
upright character and patriotic mo-
- H. Ia
those conspicuous and prominent In
society This undertaking is an out
growth and probably the unavoidab bile
aftermath of a laudable and necessary
attack upon abuses which had shown
themselves in a form OF corporate
greed and control OF politics.
Teddy Started 1t.
1T was necessary to have a house
cleaning In this regard and Mr.. Roose-
welt led the movement and much has
been accomplished In clarifying bust
ness methods and political methods.
In the doing Of which he was him
self the foremost to denounce those
who took advantage OF the general
condition OF popular suspicion and
filled their purses by unfounded at
tacks upon men in public Office strug-
cling consciententiously to do their
duty. But this undertaking episode
will pass Indeed, hope 1t Is passing.
D6CAUSd the pSopi6 are 10 see
what II really Is. are refusing to be
influenced By It, and thus arc not max
ing tho contributions to the pockets
Of muck-rakers which Ia their only
motive for continuing business
lin political questions the struggle
which Ii constantly going on IL toward
purar GOV ernment " the nation, OF
the State and city. Much has been
accomplished In this regard In the
national government. less in the State
government and still less In municipal
government But the movement Tor
better Kings Il. evident everywhere and
while there seems q be some retro
grnda sfepa from time to time tins
whole movement 10 forward. -
The result It - last six or eight
& sISOek, Ia. !O1.. ohshhos. usth. fno hrdlu
out OF politics and It has been greatly
for the bencfit Of the public veal. The
ya0st disceuFaging problem before ~
~ that Of municipal government. It
= sid that SYSTEM have been Erouped