The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-17

clinet to obtain all that his client is en-
titled to, he has done his full duty as a
lawyer, and if he goes beyond this he
goes at his own peril. Show me a lawyer
who has spent a lifetime trying to OBJ
scure the line between right and wrong,
trying to prove that to be just which he
knew to be unjust, and 1 will show you
a man who has grown weaker In charac-
ter year by year. and whose advice at
lest, will be of no value to his clients.
for he will have lost the power to discern
between right and wrong. Show me, on
the other hand, a lawyer who has spent
lifetime in the search for truth, de-
termned to follow where it leads and
will show you a man who has grown
stronger in character day by day and
whose advice constantly becomes more
valuable to his client, because the power
to discern the truth increases with the
honest search for it.
Not only in the courtroom but in the
consultation chamber, the lawyer some-
times yields to the temptation to turn his
talents to sordid use The schemes of
spoilation that defy the officers of the
law are, for the most part, ii1augurated
and directed by legal mind> The law
yer's position is scarcely less responsible
than the position of the Journalist and
If the journalist and lawyers of the coun-
try could be brought to abstain from the
practices by which the general public is
oVerreached, 1t would be an easy matter
to secure the remedial legislation neees-
sary to protect the producing masses
from the constant spoilation to which
they are now subjected by the privileged
classes.
II man who is planning a train rob-
berry takes another along to hold AZ horse
at convenient distance, we saw that the
man who holds the horse is equally guilty.
with the man who robs the train: and
the time will come when public opinion
VIII hold as equally guilty with the pl,ln-
derers of society the lawyers and journal
lists who assist the plunderers to escape.
commerce Is an increasing factor in the
business world. 1t includes both exchange
and transportation and stands next in
Importance to production. Production
comes first but production could only be
carried on on a limited scale without the
exchange of merchandise To desire to
gain an honorable distinction in this de-
partment of labor Is a worthy ambition
He who improves the instruments of
trade brings purchaser and consumer
nearer together, and thus facilitate ex-
change, may count himself a real bene-
factor. But even here there are tempta-
tions to be avoided, Let me suggest
three: First speculation. 1 do not mean
to say that the element of chance can be
entirely eliminated from any kind of bus
mess. The farmer takes his chance upon
the market; the railroad owner takes his
chances upon both the season and the
market; and we all take our chances
upon sickness and Death Uncertainty
enters into every human calculation. but
a distinction can be drawn between those
uncertaities which are Unavoidable and
those uncertainties which are of the very
essence of the transaction. There is a.
legitimate work for the stock exchange
and for the chamber of commerce. but
there is an illegitmate and vicious specu-
lation on the stock exchange and the pro-
duce market which has lured many bus
mess men to their fall
1t is not strange that many are
charmed by the siren song of the stock
ticker but it means ruin, and to the ex
tent that man yields to the templatf,o
his morals are weakened. There is mt
one sure measure of reward viz. one
that compensates each in proportion as
he serves society. The securing of some
thing for nothing by lucky turn of a
card, or by sudden change In the mar
ket paralyzes ones purpose, and, in time.
renders him unfit for patient and per-
sistent effort. I might emphasize the
fact that gambling in stocks and farm
products often leads to embezzlennent
larceny and suicide, for these are the
fruits of speculation when II becomes a
disease. But ] prefer to put my argu-
ment against gambling upon the broader
ground that 1t is, in all cases, a demor-
alizing influence, whether the gambler
wins or loses.
Monopoly is the setond commercias
temptation. Monopolies have been at
tempted ever since trading began, and