The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-11
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Defense of Bar Association

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
 Defense of Bar Association
 To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 I hope have not so far overtaxed your generosity in the matter of writing you letters but that you will allow me to make partial reply to some articles recently appearing in The Age-Herald, purporting to be written by Miss Ethel Armes, and also one by Mir. Isadore Sha- piro. lawyer, touching the legal profess sion in this district, and especially in reference to the remarks therein made touching the Birmingham Bar association. of which I am a member.
 The main purport of tho complaint in these articles appears to be regarding the flake damage suit" the chasing of ann bulances in cases of persons injured to obtain damage suits; the general fraudu- lent and dishonest conduct of the legal profession here resulting in the oppression oI the corporations in the matter of dam age suits.
 No exception is taken to the statements that there are fake damage suits filed HcIcp Dul tuC oldtcuiCHl III OIc Ol tlC articles that most of the damage suits filed are fakes Is an absurdity on it's face, and that such statement is an absurdity could be evidenced by every judge and jury before whom damage suits have been tried in the county. No exception Is taken because of the state ments that in this district there is am bulance chasing, and a fling of an un- due number of damage suits-in fact, for the purpose of argument 1t will be ad- mitted that such Is the case-and that in this business a practical monopoly ex- ists. But the exception is to the evident purpose and intention of the articles to create a sentiment against and to cast a cloud upon the entire legal profession in the district to hold up and expose the profession to public hatred, contumely. ridicule and obliquy. That such is the case is evidenced by the statement in the articles referred to in which the lawyers here. as a class. are designated either directly or by quotation as "shys- ters,'' "snitchers,' donkey heads." 'don- keys" 'jackals." "coyotes," "weasels," snake feeders etc. In one of these ar tcles some person is quoted as saying There are now about 200 shyster lawyers in Birmingham, industrious enterprisins. alert and eel-like creatures In view of the fact that there are only about 2S0 law yers in the Birmingham district, includ- ing the judges, solicitors and those not engaged in practice, the 200 referred to would embrace nearly every practicing attorney in the district.
 do not make the statement because am myself an attorney. but years of experience has demonstrated to me that lawyers, as class, rank next to the sacred ministry for high-toned morality and honesty AS in all other callings and professions, there are some bad men among them. U4a !, the profession. Trick is professional pros- titution. Falsehood is professional apos- tasy. The strength of a lawyer is in thorough knowledge of legal truth, in thorough devotion to legal right. Truth and integrity can do more in the pro- fession than the subtlest and wiliest de- vices. The power of integrity is the rule, the power of fraud is the exception. Emu lation and zeal lead lawyers astray, but the general rule of the profession is duty, not success. Tn it, as elsewhere in hu- man life. the judgment of success is but the verdict of little minds. Professional duty faithfully and well performed is the lawyers glory"
 In one of your issues of recent date MT. Isadore Shapiro, 8 lawyer here of recent acquisition. has to say that The Birmingham Bar association is an inani- mate. dormant Reorganization. and while it has remained iistless. germs of cor ruption have been sapping it's very life blood. No wonder lawyer has become synonymous with crook with some peo- ple."
 Also in one of your recent issues one of the articles purporting to be written by Miss Armes says: "If ever a bar as- sociation in the United States needed a general clearing out, 1t is the Birming- ham Bar association. The ambulance cha sing lawyers at work here from Att lanta. as well as locally. together with their attaches detectives. outside men, etc., number 200. according to a well-in- formed citizen here.''
 MT. Shapiro also has to say in one of your jssues referring to the alleged con dition of affairs as pointed out by Miss Armes: "At the very outset let 1t be known that we have on our statute books laws ample to cope with the situation"
 If 1t be true there are some lawyers in this district filing fake damage suits" chasing ambulances, causing perjury to be committed. generally stultifying them selves and expressing the corporations, the truth of which. as said. is admitted for the purpose of this argument, such abuses should be corrected, there being ample laws to cope with the situation. If this be true, why should not some of theSe knoWing wise ones, now hx innuan.