The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-12

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 courthouse pot is boiling over with a pro and con discussion. Her articles have also elicited considerable comment in the press. The mere discussion of her articles is argumentative, in itself, that there Is something to discuss. It shows further, that there has been awakening of the bars conscience. An awakening only fol- lows sleep. So, we are constrained to confess that the bar has been asleep. This sudden awakening of the mern- bers of the Birmingham bar demonstrates two things:: First, that there is soms- thing radically wrong with the legal pro- fession in Birmingham; there can be no smoke where there is no fire. SeconA that Miss Armes' pen has struck the right spot .gt is the hit dog that howls'' In last Sundays issue of The Age-Her- aid the writer briefly discussed conditions, and among other things, stated that "The young lawyer feels considerable reluc- tance in appearing to steer the morals of the profession. He is immediately stigmatized an upstart and smart aleck'" The truth of this assertion man ifested itself this morning in the shape of letter from Mir. R. l.. Williams, in which he speaks of "a lawyer here of recent acquisition" and these knowing and wise ones." Enter, both the "upstart" and the smart aleck.''
 But this is no place for the injection of personalities. We are attempting to solve a civic problem.
 Miss Armes' articles Decite facts. She far oI,o ott,ct bers of the Birmingham bar. Let her criticisers refute her facts and eliminate her and those who support her facts. Tt is easy to denounce when you cannot re- fute." What matters it if the bold author of these revelations is a woman? So much the stronger It shows more forcibly the weakness of some men-those men of the bar who are afraid of the truth. What matters it who the instigators of these articles are? Why should we be con cerned with motives? The sole question is: Are they truths? If so, deal with them as such, and don't attack the au- thor thereof or her supporters.
 Is there member of the Birmingham bar who can contradict by facts what Miss Armes has written? Is there a member of the Birmingham bar who will declare that conditions here are what they ought to be? Is there a member of the Birmingham bar who has procured any number of damage suits without so- licitation? Is 1t not true that several so- called prominent" lawyers secure their cases through the medium of ambulance chasing? Is 1t not true that this is deplorable condition, and that it should be remedied?
 Some assert that in a measure Miss Armes' attacks are warranted, that flew" members of the bar are disreputa- ble, but that this is no valid reason for branding the entire profession as cor rupt. The argument is spacious and falla- cious. If some members of the bar merit removing, 1t Is the imperative duty of the honest ones to remove them. If they do not, they neglect their duty, and de- serve severe censure for such neglect. They should not permit such appalling conditions te prevail. A profession can be no purer than the sum total of .he purity of the individuals who compose it. A few bad apples in a barrel will soon cause the entire lot to rot. If the over seer of that barrel is derelict in remov- ing the few bad ones, he deserves a reprimand. If MT, Williams overseer, the Birmingham Bar association, incor- porated. neglects-neglects in willful.