Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-20
10 bribe. however big, may make 70
lraW a dishonest contract.
B1ames Men, Not Attorneys.

To-day the man who comes into the
law office does not ask Am l right or
am l wrong?' but How close can l shave
to the law and not go to jail?' 1t is not
the lawyers who are SO much to blame
today as the men who employ them.
The ambulance chaser is great evil.
l wish that you could withdraw his de-
gree from any man who follows such
practice. A senator recently told me that
and before he could be placed in a cab
to be taken away the cards of three law
yerS had been thrust into his hands. Ii
the courts would return to the original
law in the matter of dealing with damage
suits 1t would be a great benefit.
The question was asked recently how
is poor fellow to get his damages If
he cannot afford to employ lawyer and
to pay the cost of case. Any poor man
should be furnished by the state with a
lawyer. We ought not to hold up the
bait of 30 per cent division of damages
to a poor man.
Divorce Laws Temptation.
The divorce laws of the country are
another temptation to the lawyer. Nearly
every state provides for the payment
to a lawyer of an allowance when he
files divorce. proceedings. That ought to
go. How often it happens that poor
man and his wife have a row, and when
he goes off to work she puts on her best
gown and goes to tell her troubles to
her lawyer. With his mind intent on
lawyer tells her that she should have
redress. A family is broken up.
Il have been trying to give you some
reasons why the lawyer has fallen into
some disrepute. know that the lawyer
can regain his original position of trust.
There are two ways. First, by holding
his profession sacred. high and glorious,
by keeping his standards ever high, no
matter how large a bride may be offered
him. and the second by following the
law as profession Man for man we
are the cleanest body of men in America
today. The preachers and doctors do not
have the temptations which lawyer has.
The marvel to my mind is not that the
lawyer has some times fallen. but that
he has not fallen more often.
Spirit of Doing Work.
Everybody is now being educated The
spirit with which he is doing his work
makes the difference. The doctor who,
upon entering a patients room, asks
the size of his bank account is not fol-
lowing profession. but a trade If a
lawyer thinks of his fee and not of the
pest interests of his client. he is fol-
lowing trade and not a profession
Inc HiiuiSteE Ill d small country town
who has been offered a place in big
church in the city, and whose. son
when asked If his father is praying to
know what he should do. replies. Yes.
but ma is packing up the furniture
has had raise. not a CALL
May you all enter into the profession
of law with the very highest ideals,
that your professors are endeavoring
to teach you
President Stockton's Address.
Rear Admiral Stockton. president of
the university, in his address said in
part:
1T gives me special pleasure to speak
this evening at the same dinner with the
vice President of the United States
Nothing has sounded more gratefully in
the ears of men like myself who believe
In maintaining high standards of honor,
than what he said in his inaugural ad-
dress before the Senate as TO the impera-
tive necessity on the part of the Senate,
and. in fact. Of all, to remain faithful to
obligations entered into by the United
States through its constitutional authori-
~ with other nations. The importance
of fulfilling the spirit and letter of private
and public obligations is one of the
things that desire to impress upon every
student not only of the law school. but
or the whole university in all its depart
ments and branches.
Il believe thoroughly in dinners like
this. which bring together occasionally
both undergraduate students and the
more mature professional students of the
university. There is good in oilng the
human machinery by good fellowship of
a high kind.