The chronicle=news., 1913-08-13


prosaic: but its practice is u rich and
thrilling field OF romance. introduc-
Ing the practitioner to every phase
OF human life In Its nude reality.
End uncovers the hidden Impulses Of
human character. So diversified and
actual. the experience Of the lawyer
Is an education unusual In Its
breadth and thoroux xhness. II fol-
lows. therefore. that the lawyer. even
II not u strong factor In the social
fabric. by reason OF his academic sc-
quisitions is fitted by the daily grind
TO view. with the experienced eye.
many questions. which are novel to
the average citizen.
And how far and In what manner.
by reason Of his superior advantages.
he should feel himself called upon I,
aid In public affairs. and In shaping
| public policies. Is the subject Of our
inquiry.
From the bar. In all ages since the
dawn Of civilization. have come great
chnractsrs. whose mental and moral
forces have stamped themselves on
every scroll OF human progress. Art.
science. literature. phoio~ophy. AMI
statecraft. have each received from
this noble profession wealth Of con-
tribution. Every good cause has felt
the helpIng haud Of some devoted
lawyer. even to the expense Of his
own welfare. Hut these brilliant
characters were in the main rich In
endowed virtues. and draw not alone
from their professional learning tho
boua,y Of their contributions.
Beyond this where stands ''The
Bar''--thc lawyers In the collective
in history. snd what 10 IL doiux
now To demonstrate tho worth aud
righteousness Of It's exis'enec:
The esteem In which the bar Of
this country has been held. a. like
all other srniiu~nss. siuriuatrs from
time 10 time. The progress Of civil.
isaiiou ID largely succession Of al
t~rnaiinK reeurr~ace~ OF social cx.
prsirnee sad sentiments. The dis.
eard-d ihinss Of y-s,crday ar. pre-
s~nied In new Esrb. A. the discovery
or invcntion Of today. and thus his
tory repeats itsris. A. = rule the
lawyer has enjoyed that modisum of
respect aud confidence which his
iearuins aud conduct m-tit-d. In
the very early colonial days. when
tho attorneys Of the enbs,o nation
were held In such hitter snisGoni>m.
the practitioners In their midai were
rarely educated to the profession. The
one who ~njoy~d the distinction. In
the main. was the fellow bi~ss~d
With what wc call the Aft Of cab.
and = corresponding lack ot con.
science. dignity. or regard for his a.
sumcd profession. a. we'll ~ the
rikhts Of his f-liowmen.
In Wsrrcu's History of The Amcr'.
can Bar. ". are told that:
Nothing. however. In the early
legal history Of the Colonies IL morc
striking than the uniformiy low po-
sision held ia the community by the
m-mh-rs Of the legal profession. and
the slight part which they played 10
tho development Of the country unSii
nearly the middle Of the Eishi-~nih
Ccniury. In every onc Of the Colon
les. practically throughout the Srv.
cntc-nih Ceninry. = lawyer or attor.
| ncy was character Of disrcpute aui
Of suspicion. Of whose standing or
rowcr Ia tho community the rulinE
class. whether IL was the clergy a. IN
New England. or the merchants ~ In
New York. Maryland. and visEimia.
or the Quakcss a. In Pennsylvania.
was extremely jealous. In many a:
the Colonies. pcr>ona aciins a. at
fee: In some. all paid attorneys were
barred from the coNt,s: In all. they
were subjected TO the mos, fisid re-.
siriciions IS to fees and procedure
The lawyers IL those days. how.
ever. were not educated to the Law
nor did they ordinarily make IL their
exclusive employment. They were
very largely traders. factors. ianj
ptruia,ora. iaymcn who could writ
EASILY and rapidly. The courts. In
,hosc days. required ~ little prcpar.
s,ion or education for the assumption
" their oncrous duties. as did the
lawyer. for their undertakings. In
all of the Colonies the general ass ,tn.
bly or legislature. at first constituted
the sole court Of law: later the Gov.
crnor. or his deputies aud assistauis
And when distinct aud separate