Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-09-17
JUDGE HAWKINS
ON LAW REFORM
DENIES THAT LAWYERS ARE UN-
FAVORABLE TO LEGAL REFORMS.
BUT ARE LEADING SPIRITS IN
ALL REFORMS.
NEyERTHELESS. AS JUDGES AND
LAWYERS. ALL HAVE CONE
SHORT OF FULL MEASURE OF
THEIR HIGH DUTIES.

~ Nv is'Ait~I VI it
Austin. Sept. IA gently worded bu
searching rebuke. and a stirring challeng
10 duty and good work in behalf of Law
and reform. are sounded to the American
Bar Association. the Texas State Bar As
sociativn and the lawyers Of Texas in TIL
following editorial by the Dallas New
Of September 9Th
THE American Bar Association has
again declared earnestly for refoym
Of judicial procedure and jim Mr.. Taft
il chose for its president one who has
been a persistent advocate of such re
form. Doubtless it would be nngra-
cious to say anything that might seem
to disparage the Importance of this
evidence Of the bar associations de-
sire to conf rm legal procedure more
nearly to the requirements of justice,
and vet the mere fact that his asso-
citation desires reform and intends to
work for reform gives but doubtful
guarantee that reform will be accom-
plished. There was a time when,
with the sears of fewer disappOint-
mcnts to sOphisticate us. we should
have been made hopeful and even con-
fident by the reOlutiOn of either the
National Bar Association or the
State Bar Association to work for
judicial reform. But their resOlu-
tiOns have proved to he mostly sterile
promises. Of course there il no
lack of sincerity in them. nor have
they defaulted in the effort to realize
the hopes their resolutions inspire.
just why it is that so little has is
sued from these annual resolution we
do not pretend to know. unless it is
that the bar associations speak for
too small number If the legal fra
ternity to give much authority or
force to their declarations. The hope
of judicial reform on the initiative
of the lawyers diminishes steadily. III ''
looks as if the better h pc Is i'm the
chance that the victims Of existing
evils will be moved by the increasing
weight of their grievance to take
leadership and command of the
movement for the reform of judicial
procedure -supD
These deliberate and pessimistic OK,
,ressions of an influential journal which
las long occupied an advanced position
II favor Of and has faithfully and per,
istently fought for law reform call fol
serious consideration and meditation.
Are its fears and misgivings well
Ounded? Are resolutions gravely adopt
a by national and state bar associations
merely sounding brass or tinklinp
'ymbal" which produce no permanent i'm
PRESTON or lasting effect?
Is it possible that, a. declared by th<
News, ''the hope of judicial reform on thu
initiative of the lawyers diminishei
steadily" and that we are not to have
'eal and necessary law reform in Texas
lntil laymen take charge of the move
nent and carry it to success?
I think not / think the record will
'how that the lawyers and judges of thi,
state have been throughout its history
md are now. and ] believe will ever be
he moving spirits. the mansprng il
thought and action Of every movement fol
4 better more efficient system of courts
md judicial procedure.
But, on the other hand, | think it mus
be admitted by all candid observers ant
thoughtful students of the subject tha1
As Judges and lawyers. officially and pri
vately. as members of the state bar as
; citation and individually. we have al
failed and come short of the full measur,
Of our high duties and privileges in thi
matter. which lies next to the heart o
our civilization and is indissolubl,
bound up with our moral, commercial ant
prosperity.
The plain unvarnished truth is that
with possible exceptions here and there
our governors in recent years. all o
whom have been lawyers. our senators
and representatives. many of whom ar
lawyers. the thirty appellate judges, tn
district judges. the county judges. th
county commissioners. the justices of tn
peace. and the more than three tbousan
active practicing lawyers of Texas. hay
been trifiing and temporizing. more o
less, with the subject instead of delif
erately and methodically taking il n
for determined consideration and bus
ness-like settlement.
To deny this is to question either til
necessity for law reform or the con
hined power and Influence of these Oh
cials and lawyers. The urgent necessit
for law reform is apparent. and it in uB
less to argue it. That much il manifes
fr m the daily grist of almost, if M
(Continued from mage throo.l