The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1916-06-08
A SNARE AND DELUS|ON
Justice and Not Success Should Be
+ VS. Ideal Of lawyer.
BY Geo. w. Armstrong.


The Administration of Justice ~
/ misnomer There is no such thing.
Il is snare and delusion. We
have an administration of tho forms
and methods of procedure, Of the
rules of evidence and OF the technF
caiities OF the law, an administration
of the law. 1t Is moro important I'M
der this system that the rules ana
forms OF procedure be observed than
justice be attained.
In practically one-half of the cases
the side or the other does not want
Justice. Their effort Is to obstruct,
delay or defeat justice. This Is legit-
Innate practice and the rules of pro
cedure are admirably adapted to that
end.
1t IL the duty of the lawyer TO
serve his client He Is hired by his
client to win. and it is up to him TO
do it, whether right or wrong, The
lawyer strives for success and not
justice. Success obtained through
his superior knowledge of law and
DAdIiltc. VI tdSl VI ibafi1sVihtht -
legal justice. When success culmin-
ates in judgment of the court OF
final resort, 1t Is then sanctified JUS
tice that must not be questioned, and
o precedent that must be afterwards
followed.
The lawyer does not want the
truth unless 1t favors his side of the
case. He seeks to suppress or dis
tort all truth unfayorable to his client
by invoking the rules OF evidence, by
brow-beating witnesses, by playing
on the prejudices and emotions Of
the jurors.
1t Is ethical for the lawyer to take
any sort OF case, provided the fee
is satisfactory. The harder the case,
/. e., the less justice there is to 1t.
the more fee he charges and the
more service Is expected OF him. The
faslt is not in the individual lawyer:
it is In the nature OF his employment
and the ethics and rules of practice
of his profession. l am not attack
ing the lawyer as a man. He will
average up in character with other
men, and in intelligence above them.
But | am assailing a lawyer system
end a judicial system that has proven
itself inadequate to meet modern con-
ditions. that contains by reason OF
its reverence for precedent much
ancient and specialization law. and
that has grown so cumbersome, ex-
pensive and technical as to defeat
the very end for which 1t was organ
lied and Is being maintained. l am
trying to call attention to the funda-
mental causes that have brought the
administration of Justice into dis
repute; that cause men TO suffer in
justice. rather than submit TO the
arbitrament of the courts and that
provoke mob law. in order that the
remedy may be more clearly seen.
Nothing short OF the removal Of
the causes viii effect a reform OF
any value. There viii bo no ma.
tei1al Improvement SO long as the
lawyer is employed By the client %
promote his selfish ends and is re-
sponsihe to him alOse; and so long
as the courts give more attention
70 tine technfcalitlcs of practice and
procedure than the Justice OF tho
ease. Il the lawyer Is employed by
the County or State 90 serve an men
ALIKE and % promote justice among
them. most ~ the abuses ~ our pres.
enc sgatem. including Us technical
practice san b. corrected
{ sasgest shat the various coun.
ties. tlroakh their commissioners
cenrf. or some other tribunal. license
aH1 employ st the countfs expense
a. Anyer nl the county whose duty
Il ull D. 20 serve every one alike
fpat compensation. fhaf The
courts te cmrouessd on application
fY aapu'at laagea 81 bring and de-
ffaa eaIfa ana aefena criminals. aid
tu Pig aua cas- as eusfs an sffor lev.
81 a. he collected tg -hn county f0r
eos ramfuf of hevers' salassls.
it er Dr. prohibited under s--
rea Eeaslflrs fram aceepllas asp
HoFt a. rensafi0n fr0m oiients.
aa talt eaaa.d4ry for office sha1
Neu a44 forever forfeit TIA
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