The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-19
Members of State Bar Are
Urged to Get Interested in
Work of the Association

rights and privileges OF an officer of
her courts. II it be true that this
association has not heretofore accom-
plished as much as it ought, ii is true
only because members of the profess
sion have failed to ally themselves
with il, and to discharge their debts
of honor to the profession and the
state by helping to secure and main
tain those things for which the as
ISOLATION was created.
This letter is an appeal to every
lawyer in the state to answer to HIM
self these questions: Is there any suf-
ticient reason why 1 should not give
my support to An organization that
exists for the express purpose of ben
citing my own profession II
through it the clients for whom l act :.
Is there n sufficient reason why !
should not devote some small portion
of my time to conference with the
other lawyers of the state with Il view
to securing the adoption of laws that
will make cleaner and straighter the
highways of justice?
The association has been ~unjustly
accused of undue activity, at times.
in political matters. Those ccusa
lions come usually from those who
are personally more deeply interested
in securing or holding office than in
the orderly administration of justice.
The association is pledged. by its con-
stitution, to guard the judiciary: and
If it signifies its approval or disap-
prevail of n candidate for judicial
office-basing its action solely on the
qualifications of that candidate-it
does not thereby become a political
organization. nor is ii guilty of undue
political activity. On the contrary it
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which it owes to the people Of the
state. and the people will SO UNDER
stand it in due time. On no other
political question has the association
ever taken any action. No bar as
ISOLATION ought ever to hesitate about
indulging in that sort of politics.
But other and weightier questions
than who shall he our Judges confront
us. The initiative and referendum.
and the recall of judges, questions
which touch the very foundations of
IL government. are inviting our at
tention. The liability of employer to
iemployee; the private business cor
poration as a factor in existing finan-
cial conditions; the sim%plifcations of
court procedure. and qualifications for
admission to the bar. are among the
questions that the bar must answer
for the benefit of the people, because
the people naturally look to the bar
for guidance in such matters. And
the bar ought to consider itself AS un-
der a perpetual retainer to the public,
for the purpose not only of advising
but of directing the proceedings
whereby order may be brought GU,
of present confusion. To accomplish
that end, calm and earnest counsel
together must be had. Let us come
together. then. as an association. not
for the purpose of enforcing the rec
ognition or adoption of our individual
ideas as to one reform or another
hut as doctors consult with each other
to ascertain, first. the real cause OF
disorder, and second, to agree upor
the remedies to be applied. 1t re-
quires no less patriotism to preserve
and maintain a government than II
does to first establish it; and we OF
the bar are in duty bound to put aside
personal interests long enough to per,
form the public duties We owe as law,
yers and as citizens.
Jamestown. n. D., August 90. 1912
Executive Committee
- Bar Association of North Dakota.