Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-11
NEW WAR TO BE WACED
ON CROOKED LAWYERS
Judge Martin Is Cooperating With the
Committee Of Censors to Purge
the Bar

=
IL reputation when u crooked lawyer robs
u client or resorts TO trickcry to win a ad
case.
The unthinklng decide at once that all
lawyers are crooked. They gcncralze from
insufficient data. This habit of drawing
sweeping conclusions from an isolated fact
is altogether too common
The careful, scientific invest gator always
accumuates a mass of evidence before he
draws any conclusion. He has learned by
experience that this Is the only safe course.
and he has learned too. that he must always
be ready to modify his conclusions in the
light of new evidence.
But the man in the street does not always
have scientific mind. when politician
is proved to be CRATER he says all poll
ticians are grafters.
When II clergyman Is detected in n fault
he insists that all clergymen are hypocrites.
And when II lawyer Is guilty of sharp
practices he insists that no lawyers can be
trusted.
But we all know that these conclusions are
at fault. The overwhelming majority of men
in all professions are honest. They are try
ing 10 do as near right ms they know how.
IL there were no other incentive. they know
that 1t Is in the long run the most profitable
course. But most of us have sufficient con-
fidence in human nature to believe that this
is not the compelling motive.
The renewed efforts of the Law Associa.
ton OF this city to purge the bar Of the men
who have been false to their oath is evidence
Of jealousy Of professional honor which
justifes the belief in the underlying integrity
Of purpose of the lawyers.
The association has been handicapped In
the past by its inability to force offending
lawyers to appear before .its Committee of
Ccnsors. This handicap was removed by
the Legislature of 1919 which empowered
the presiding Judge of any Court Of Common
Pleas to issue subpoenas on the request of
any approved committee of members Of the
bar of the court to compel the attendance
not only of any accused lawyer charged with
unprofessional conduct. but TO force the
attendance of necessary witnesses.
The Committee of Censors has just Sc
cured the cooperation Of President Judge
Martin. OF the Court of Common Pleas No.
). in carrying out the purposes of the act
The Judge welcomes the opportunity TO CO.
operate with the lawyers in uphoding the
standards of the profession.
In the past. offending lawyers have de-
clined to respond to the summons Of the
Committee of Censors. As Judge Martin
pointed out. they have made settlement
with their aSgricved clients and laughed at
the efforts to punish them. When the client
was satisfied he would not appear as a wit
ness against the lawyer. He was interested
only in getting his money, and did not care
TO trouble himself with protecting other
citizens from being preycd upon by the law
Yer who had been honest with him only
under compulsion.
Under the old arrangement the Committee
of Censors has been able to help aggrieved
clients without being able TO do much toward
securing the dsbarment of dishonest law
ycrs. 1t has been only in the most fragrant
cases that lawyer has been dsbarred
Under the new arrangement the offending
lawyer can be brought to book before he has
bad time to cover up his Offense by making
a settlement with his client.
The identity Of the few crooked lawyers
in town IS known TO other lawyers. They
are likely to he watched with increased
vigilance now that the Law Association
committee has seen fit to go into open court
and secure a public announcements from the
Judge that he Is ready TO cooperate with
II in Its work. The Court itself is directly
interested. for tho lawyers are all officers
of the court directly responsible to it for the
abuse Of their privileges.
There is another abuse in The administer
ing of Justice which is as greatly in need
of attention as the dishonest lawyers and
that Is the interminahe delays resorted 10
in order to wear ont the patience Of men
seeking Justice.
Under the American practice. lawyers are
allowed to make dlatory motion after dia-
tory motion, and the Judges have no way to
prevent ii. They cannot question the good
faith of the litigants without proof and
proof is not always easy to attain. Under
the English practice the lawyer who makes
n motion involving delay is forced 10 put up
q sum of money 10 be forfeited If his motion
is denied The sum is large enough to dis
courage motions made purely for the purpose
of delay.
Chief Justice Taft is about to visit Lon.
don to study the system in order to dis
cover whether it can be adopted in some
form in the Federal courts in this country.
He is evidently determined to bring about
n reform in judicial procedure in the inter
ests of justice. Already through his urging
Congress has authorized the appointment Of
a large number of new Federal Judges needed
to handle the increased business OF the
courts. When these Judges are appointed
an effort will be made to clear the calendars
of cases that have been awaiting considera-
tion for two or three years. II he can in
troduce system which will discourage dla.
tory motions he will prevent future over
crowding of the calendars.