Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-09-17
.(Continued from page one.)

qulte, every court in Texas, from our pub
iic records, from press reports of crime,
I wAach shock humanity and disgrace tn,
Aaqte, from carefully prepared editorials
AID magazine articles, from resolution,
\ aN0peed by national and state bar asso
\ cations without dissent. 1t pervadesth,
very atmosphere. Never before in tn,
history OF Texas did an idea take sucl
Arm and general hold upon all our PEG
Y PIE. without finding adequate and con
crete expression, and without being crys
talized into law.
And 1t would be just as vain and fool
ish to deny that if those to whom / hav,
referred, officials and lawyers, would Sc
their faces TO the task before them, will
common and inflexible purpose, it would
2 pc accomplished soon and we'll.
Upon these officials, and the lawyers OF
Texas, rests therefore, a joint and severa.
responsibility for existing and for future
conditions in the premises, a reSLopSi
bhity which we should all proceed tc
meet promptly, intelligently, conscrva
( lively, yet cOurageously.
I The immediate pressing problem is how
TO get all these varied forces and iniu
encrs into harmonious motion. and how ia
crystralize, possibly partly into organic
7 law, and certainly into statutory law and
coIrt.made rules having the force of law,
Y he Lest thought on the subject.
The most promising and really the best
organization now in existence for the pro
mnfinn nf fhaf xt.nply 10 o,c ctota hon &c
sociation; but its influence can and must
he greatly increased and extended, and
its personnel must be made more gener-
ally and actually representative of the
bar Of the state.
The above editorial diagnoses the case
correctly when it attributed their lack of
influence to the fact that 'the bar assO-
Citations speak for too small a number
~cf The legal fraternity to give much au-
shortly or force to their declarations"
And it might %truthfully have been add
cd that too large a proportion of those
who attend the annual meetings of our
own state bar association do not come
from the rank and file of lawyers
throughout the state-the most agrees
sfvciy conservative and the most conser-
yatiyely aggressive force in Texas-but
from the ranks of the representatives of
special interests.
Dvlthis l do not mean to suggest that
the litter should not hold membership in
ppd attend the meetings of the a~ssocia-
'i0p: on the contrary, / commend them
for doing so; but the point which / make
<is That the lawyers and the public should
periodically see to it that hat body, as
fbc V5tential center of influence for law
RI 'orm, shall hereafter consist of a lar
sper number of men. and be more nearly
representative of our whole people.
800 best way to produce that result will
~ link, be for the lawyers in practically
rvcry county in Texas to organize a coun-
" hlr association. which shall send some
of - members as delegates to the annual
mesi'ng 0fNthe state bar association, pay
if"' heir railroad fare and hotel bills, if
iw"r' ysrry to secure their attendance.
Tor the present they could take their
80 and participate as individuals; la
49, - the association may arrange to re
ri . them as delegates, if that plan be
ir~nl advisable.
These county bar associations, while
% ','niing professional ethics, would nat
r-~l'v take up and discuss upon their
.seii H. various reform measures affecting
~" organization of our courts and their
/ i~,rccrTrre, and would send up to the gov
cr~--s the legislature, the state bar as
eoc; '.ion and the supreme court many
m~'incnt and very valuable suggestions
"a SO premises, reports of such local pro-
ferfsnCS would often find their way into
70 iiniv and weekly press. the newspa-
PERI would themselves become more inter
cstcd in the subject, many rich fields of
ih"I.h nj which now lie fallow would be-
cr--r fruitful, public sentiment would
f"'a way to make itself felt and heard,
r"dzcrcscntly we would have, in Texas.
ecr,spc law reform which would light
.rr fmay to happiness and peace and
move a worthy example to our sister
II ;tcs.
WIN. E. HAWKINS.
Austin, Sept. 10, 1913.