The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1910-08-11

by removing temptation from them
and to make our courts responsive to
the demands for justice should com
mand our serious attention. The
crooked lawyer thrives on am
biguities in private contracts and
public measures.
Lawyers whose conduct tends
to bring the legal profession
into disrepute are no different from
men whose conduct would bring any
trade or profession into disrepute:
the lawyers that offer their skill and
cunning on the open market to the
highest bidder. the price being regu-
lated by the character of competi-
ton. the hazard of the undertaking
and the chance to recoup by theft
from their clients or the other side.
These may be divided into two
Glasses: those who go TO the legis-
Nature in the hire of corporations to
hamstring public policy or who re-
main at home TO suborn wit
lnesses, and those. who leg for dam
lage cases. splitting a little better
than even with the plaintiff on re-
suits, and levy blackmail between
whites. Most lawyers will do
neither; but there is way to clear
the profession Of these two classes.
and that brings us back to the open
ing remarks.
The true province" of a lawyer
to borrow a word from a well-known
contemporaries to prevent litiga-
ton, not to provoke 1t. In the early
day the criminal law was severe on
barratry. But lawyers can not pre-
vent people rushing into litigation
as the consequence OF their own
folly IL people would consult
reputable counsel before entering
business matters, in which there is
the least doubt. and pay a reason
able fee-not TO the loud gentle
man with the gift of CAB, whose
lurid eloquence was once so potent
in charming a rural jury, but IL en-
lployed mostly now in convincing his
client that the opposing party is a
scoundrel, the lawyer generally re-
garded in the community as a "slick
one"-they would find their con-
tracts free of antiquities and their
minds free of apprehension.
Then the legislatures should clear
ly fix the responsibility in damages
for injury or death to workmen. At
present, IL the employer does not
make reparation for the loss Of earn
ing capacity of an injured employe,
the rest of us do. Moreover, II the
Injured man employees a lawyer to
recover damages. he gets a relatively
small portion OF the verdict. con-
sidering he has lost a limb and his
attorney only his breath. The
lawyer has earned a big contingent
fee. and the employer has the salts
faction OF knowing that he has paid
out a large sum of money to
lawyer to defend him, paid the court
large amount of costs for the ex-
perience, and handed over a wad OF
money to another lawyer, who prob
ably stirred up the litigation against
him, thereby enabling that legal
light to live and stir up more litiga-
ton Of the same kind.
In consequence OF the operations
to this breed OF predatory lawyer,
large employers are compelled to re-
tain a corps of law agents, whose
duties are various II not conspicuous
in connection with the defense of
damage suits. They are frequently
compelled to buy Legislators to en-
act laws for their protection. and
this has opened a wide and profit
able field for legislative blackmailers
to levy tribute at every session. An
example of this Is found in the
Jackpot" exposures in the Illinois
Legislature.
Now, II the responsibility in dam
ages for the loss Of capacity or loss
OF life of an employee were clearly
fixed by statute. the employers
would equip their factories with the
most approved apparatus for the
protection of life and limb, and all
being liable alike. this item would
go into the operating account. En-
lployers' liability Insurance Is cheap
er than paying lawyers fees for
both sides. bribng legislators, keep
ing up a corps OF law agents, and