The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-10-20
WANT LAWYERS
TO QUALIFY
INDIANA BAR ASSOCIATION
ADDRESSES PUBLIC REGARD
TO VOTE ON AMENDMENT
Important Matter Will be Presented
to People of State on
Nov. 8.

qualifications shall be necessary for
admission to practice law in all
courts Of Justice.
This amendment has failed here
tofore because it lacked a constitu-
tional majority of the total number
of votes east at election time. The
hope of the association is to secure
a full vote upon this question at
the election Nov. 3. The amendment
will be printed at bottom of the
| state ballot but it is feared that un-
less the voters attention is directed
TO If the amendment will be overlook
ed as heretofore by a sufficient num-
Der of voters to prevent it receiving
a constitutional majority.
The text of the address to the PEG.
pie prepared by this committee re-
presenting the Indiana Safe Bar as
ISOLATION Is as follows:
''Our constitutions now provide
that every person of good moral
character being a voter, shall be en-
| titled to admission to practice law
in all courts of Justice. No know
ledge of the law is required. When
this was adopted Indiana was spar
sely settled, education was not easily
obtainable lawyers were not SO
numerous in proportion to popula-
ton. The reasons which impelled
the people to adopt this law do not
now exist. Education is now more
widely diffused among the people, is
cheaply obtained at the expense of
the state and the standard of educas
ton is higher.
With the development of our nat
urai resources the value of property
and property rights have increased
many fold, Inheritances are more
valuable; new conditions of life in
volve new rights and require new
remedies.
The inventions of half a century
since the adoption of the above con
stitutional provision have produced
a more complex civilization. To deal
with the relations thus created de-
mands a higher degree of education
and a better knowledge of law as a
science. Every mar who has a fam
ily TO protect or an estate to be pre-.
served and administered. is interest
ed in raising the standard of the
lawyer to whom he or his heirs must
resort for advice and protection
The defense of our life. liberty ant
property is necessarily confided tc
lawyers. The standard of ability
and integrity required of those who
would fiji this Office, cannot be toe
carefully guarded.
The legislature has already fxet
the most rigid requirements anG
qualifications for physicians ant
others whose profession is intimately
interviewer with the life and healtl
of the people. Life and health are
not more important to the publ,
welfare than the legal protection oil
life, liberty and property rights
The people are entitled to the same
protection against incompetent law
yers as they now have against in.
competent physicians. 1t is now pro
posed to adopt the following con.
stitutional provision in place of the
above section:
"The general assembly shall, by
law. prescribe what qualification.
shall be necessary for admission Il
practice law in all courts of Justice
"This confides to the general as
sembly the power to define the quail
ifications for admission to practic,
law and to change the same from
time TO time as experience and thu
changing conditions of society il
this commonwealth may require.
Surely we can trust the law max
ing power to make the needful re
strictions of the right to practic,
law. Lawyers are not licensed lega
copbatants; they r officers of The
court whose duty it is to assist the
court in the administration Of jus
tice. The qualifications of those
who seek this Office should be fxe6
by statute.
1t is important that every vote,
who votes at this election should
vote upon this amendent by mark
ing a cross in the square opposite
4 the words "For the amendment OF
Against the amendment printed
upon the bottom of the state election
ballot. 1t requires a majority of al
the votes east at the election Il
carry this amendent and not merel,
a majority of those voting upon the
amendent.
"iOur real interest is involved IL
this amendent as %vitally as I'm TIN,
choice of those who shall fiji the exc
.,,ftxa ofToae q H. 49,