New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-27

without publicity and with entire satisfaction through
the efforts of two or more lawyers Naturally, nothing
is heard of these When Dickens drew the rather ey
aggeraed character of Mr.. Tuklnghorn, the funeral
looking man who had locked in his breast all the family
secrets of the English nobility he described to nicely
the secrecy and trustworthneSs that must character
ize all LAWYERS in dealing with the family and legal
affairs of their clients The ESculaplan oath Of the
physician is no strcter than the bond OF secrecy that
gags the lawyers mouth
IF NV experiences in the law had not convinced me
/ that both law and lawyers were working every dav
for the betterment of men, should be disappointed
man. There is throughout the country today wide
spread and Unsuitable complaint that there IS too much
delay in the administering OF the law Inc law, cogged
as it is with the impeding rust of precedent and red
tame is a great engine for good And make the pre-
dicOn here that within the next ten years there will
he tremendous change the operation OF this engine
The reform will be wrought by the mere force Of public
oDnion on both bench and bar Nowadays there is too
much attention devoted TO useless tcchncal,lgS and
needless excuses Under the pressure Of public opinion
our Judges supported by the bar, will exercise all their
power to expedite litigation power they have always
possessed but never fully used They will come more
and more to the method Of old English Judge whom
! much admire
His pan was simple He would get before him the
opposing lawyers and state the controversy Then he
world ask them what points in the controversy were
not disnuted When they answered, he would say:
therefore Gentlemen, we need waste no time on
this or that or the other We get down TO the point
at issue One side take twenty minutes and the other
take twenty Now say what you have to say, and
will decide the case.
Something Of this spirit would lift from all the people
q tremendous burden Of expense and suspense. III
classes suffer by the present policy Of delay but, as
has been pointed out by President Taft, who was him
self an eminent Judge the great share Of the burden
on the shoulders of the poor,-the men who cannot
afford to pay big fees, and the widows whose little
money NAV be withheld from them for scvcra. years by
procrastnating tactics.
That all this will be changed IS the conviction Of the
GREAT BODY of lawyers and the proof Of the prophecy
lies in the nationwide agitation now being carried on
10 make it certainty. 1t IS being taken up by Legs
Iarrcs and bar associations and it will be helped along
with growing swiftness by every attorney who wishes
10 keep his profession free from reprcacn for instance
nobody will denv that it is almost criminal 10 devote 50
much expense and time and trouble 10 proving dead
mems signatures in dealing with property TITLES that the
court and everybody else knows are vested m certain
persons beyond the slightest shadow OF doubt II
such title is clear and nobody denies IT, why cannot
the court order that it be recorded and thus expedite
that which should not be delayed:
Five wears ago il greater habit than az present
for LAWYERS to forget their duty Of serving mankind and
to devote themselves to serving one man. refer to
the habit of lawyer giving all his time and services 10
one client or corporation, and to the allied custom Of
serving rs counsel for a big company and getting his
remuneration in the shape Of stock in the firm vice
in nv career | have been offered such q posuon-a
fattcrng salary for giving all my services 10 one cor
poration refused them BOTH | do not intend that
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