The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1919-07-04
BAR ASSOCIATION
MEETS
Mr.. GUY ". STEELE MADE A sTRIKIEG
ADDRESS ON COMING EXPANSION OF
OUR LAW. = nR. PAREE AHD Mr..
STEELE ELECTED OFFICERS OF AS
S0CIlTlOR.


The annual meeting of the Mary
land State Bar Association held at
Atlantic City on June rs, q and 2S
was the most successful in its history.
The leading lawyers Of the state at
tended it, among hose from Carroll
county being Mn and Mrs. L. O.
Weant and Miss Weant, and Mr. and
Mrs. Guy w. Steele and Miss Mary
Grafton Steele.
Mr.. Steele read a paper entitled
Coming Expansion Of Our Law" of
which the Baltimore Sun said:
Mr.. Steele's idea was that the
spiritual change wrought IN us by
the war would be reflected In the law,
enforcing the duties of individuals and
organizations to the public. assert
ing that the Law had been developed
sufficiently to protect the rights of
PERSONS and that the changed condi-
tions of life required that the duty
Of capital and labor to the public
must be enforced. He traced the
origin and development of The law.
showing that its paramount feature
was that of duty Ia the community.
until the Christian era; that from
this period It's development vas on
the side of the rights OF men and pri-
vate property, which has influenced
the great movemetn of our race
The rights Of man reached the
limits of their growth shortly after
the Civil War. Mr. Steele said. as
freedom as great Is is consistent with
our civilization had then been attain
ed, and the laws future expansion
must lie in the direction of the right
men.
II was about % years ago. he con
tinusd. that the rights of tie public
began 10 be considered and lHws OF
humanitarian character have since
been passed. which. however. do moi
recognize the trne relationship of
combinations of men to society. The
law of the future will reflect our
inner feelings OF right. and 1t i neres-
sary 10 consider what change has
been wrought in II by the xar.
The necessity Of some basic prin-
ciple upon which our future leRisla-
tiOn viii grow Is most apparent when
we consider our specialized eivilila-
tiOn. which has resulted IN = most
deplOfaDlo state of dependency.
No longer Is man independent. and
our boosted freedom is mirage
Some one whom We don't know pro
vides Tor us practically every neces=
sity of life. to whom we must trust
10 furnish IL at reasonable price
The truth OF Saint Paul il manifest
for no one liYeth to himself alone
A selfish dispute between capital sad
labor ean result in our being de
prived Of heat. Of light, Of .othas-
in fact. Of the very things tint make
life possible. This condition Is In
tolerable and must be met By lcgis-
iation which will prevent the organi-
cations our laws have created 10
work contrary 10 the end Of The law.
tho public good What is the answer
To what root idea must We cling In
order that our future actions vii pro
mote the public weal?
AS the right Of personal liberty
and private possession was the direo-
ton Of our progress when man pos
sessed within himself the power of
sustenanee, so in the future. - in our
NdlA4 Aa1Bt nh6I NTH ittiHI AHOU lt1E
protection OF the tribe for existence,
must our duty To the community, the
rights Of men. be the direction our
laws development must take.
And Il seems 10 me thai We law
yers. clear thinkers Of strong con
wctiona. are not taking the part we
should IN teaching the people these
fundamental truths and hoW best TO
rule themselves IN our changed con
ditionH. Instead Of trying 10 direct
the rising food Of protest into the
right channel, We are strictly attend
ing 10 our own business, instead of
trying TO guide the public mind to
wards the road II should pursue I'm
order that laws can be framed suit
able 10 our new conditions. We are
lazily allowing men who think wrong.
who are not familiar with the his
tory Of our laws expansion II direct
the peoples Thoughts in the wrong.
direction
All over the land are heard today
irresponsible agitators, the voices OF
short sighted pessimists, VINO. in
tentionally or ignorantly. are attempt
ing 10 destroy our government. Ap-
parentIy they expected the millennium
to follow the signing of the armistice.
and have not common sense sufficient
to realize. or familiarity with history
to know. that there is inevitably a
slow growth in human affairs; that
the habits OF society cannot be dis
carded Immediately. no more than
the individual can throw off At once
his habits: and that our laws will
change slowly and only as the peo-
ple's conduct changes. The people
should realize that 1t is their law,
made BY them. which In enforced.
and that 1t can reflect only their in
ner Views of life. for law never leads
civilization, but follows in its wake. |
and though its purpose Is to regulate
and control the relation of men TO /
each other and the community in
which they live. these relationships
must first exist before 1t can take I
'orm.
1T has been positive loss to 9
s0ciety that the word Law has an |
unpleasant sound. and II Is Iamen- /
able that the thoughts of men should 6
Llways connect It with wrong. This {
; our opportunity BY inselfah action t
o not only aid humanity, but also to d
.btain place Of affection IN The
earts Of our countrymen. 0nr stand
n the future must be on the side of
uty, Of humanity, and by 30 doing E