Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1911-07-14
THE LAWYER IN POLITICS
Governor Woodrow Wilson Discusses
Relations Of the Legal Profession
to the Public Service.

Deprecating the fact that the mod
ern American lawyer moves in an at
mosphere of private rather than public
service, Governor Woodrow Wilson, Of
New Jersey, addressed the Kentucky
Bar Association at Lexington, Ky.
Wednesday night on the subject The
Lawyer in Politics"
las one looks about him at the in
finite complexities of the modern prob
lens of life, at the great tasks to be
accomplished by law, at the issues OF
life and happiness and prosperity in
volved, one can not but realize how
much depends upon the part the law
yer is to play in the future politics of
the country" said Governor Wilson.
IF he will not assume the role of
patriot and Of statesman; if he will
not lend all his learning to the service
of the common life of the country; II
he will not open his sympathies to
the common man and enlist his en-
thusiasm in those policies which viii
bring regeneration to the business Of
the country, less expert hands than
his must attempt the difficult and per-
ilous business. 1t will be clumsily
done. 1t will lie done at the risk OF
reaction against the law itself. II will
be done perhaps with brutal disregard
of the niceties of justice, with Clumsi-
ness instead of with skill.
The tendencies of the profession,
therefore, its sympathies, its inclina-
tons. its prepossessions, its training,
its points of view, its motives, are part
of the stuff and substance OF the des-
tiny of the country. 1t is these mat
tiers rather than any others that bar
associations should consider, for an
association is greater than the indi-
vidual lawyer It should emb0dy not
the individual ambition Of the practi-
toner, but the point of view of soche,@
with regard to the profession. II
should hold the corporate conscience
and consciousness of the profession.
Vt is inspiring to think what might
happen if but one great state bar as
ISOLATION were to make mp its mind
and move toward these great objects
with intelligence, determination and
perseverance"
Governor Wilson declared that the
technical training of the modern
American lawyer, his professional pre-
and his business invol-
ments, imposed limitations upon him
and subjected him to temptations
which seriously stood in the way OF
the ideal service to society
which was demanded by the true
standards and canons of his profes'
sion. Modern business in particular.
with its huge and complicated pro-
,esses. has tended to subordinate him,
o make of him a servant. an instru-
nent instead of free advisor and a
master of Justice
The speaker said that the training
If the modern lawyer in schools APP
,eared to him to be an intensely tech
lical training. Moreover, the profess
;ions of the modern lawyer were all
n favor of his close Identification with
lis clients, and he seldom thinks Of
himself as The advocate of society.
His very professional loyalty begets
n him the feeling that he is Inc ad-
'ocate now of this, now Of that, and
gain of another special individual in
crest. He moves in the atmosphere
# private rather than public service.
Moreover, he is absorbed now more
han ever before into the great indus
rial organism. His business becomes
more and more complicated and spe
ialized His studies and his services
re apt to become more and more con-
med to some special field of law. He
,ecomes more and more a mere eX-
,ert in the legal side of certain class
# great industrial or financial under
akings. The newspapers and the pub
ic in general speak of corporation
awyers' and, of course. the most lucra-
i've business Of our time is derived
rom the need that the great business
we call corporations
ave at every turn of their affairs of
n expert legal adviser. 1t is apt to
Iappen with the most successful, and
~ that test the most eminent lawyers
# our American communities that by
he time they reach middle life, their
thoughts have become fixed in very
lard and definite molds. Though they