Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-06-02
BAR HEAD OPPOSES
JUDGES ELECTION
BY POPULAR VOTE
BY BRYAN COLLIER
journal Staff Correspondent

TYBEE ISLAND, May 31.-Briefy
scoring the present system of elect
ing judges by popular ballot and
pointing high standard of profess
sional ethics and Fidelity to trust"
for the assembled barristers to fol
low, q. D. Harrison, president Of
the Georgia Bar association, Thurs
day delivered the annual presidents
address before that body at the
opening session of it's fortieth an.
nual convention here.
Mr.. Harrison is clerk of the SUI
preme court of Georgia, having held
that position since 1868. Last year
the Georgia Bar association honored
him for his long years of service
by electing him it's president after
he had served since 1890 as it's
treasurer.
= At the opening of his address, Mr..
Harrison paid glowing tributes to
neys and jurists of several decades
ago, among them General A. r.
Lawton, one of the founders of the
Georgia Bar association and its first
annual orator; Major Joseph B
Cumming, president in 1886; Clifford
Anderson, president in 1887; Chan
cellor Walter B. Hill Chief Justice
Bleckley Pd others.
"All these We're men," said Mr.
Harrison, who held high the light
of law. They knew that a lawyer
is as truly a minister of the law
as a clergyman is a minister of re-
ligion, and that loyalty to the law
is as essential to the welfare of So
ciety as is loyalty to religion.
Lawyers Enlarged Duties
''But since these brethren have
passed from among us, the world has
undergone the greatest Cataclysm in
history. The great war has given
us a changed world; new world
that makes large demands on the in.
dividual. 1t is impossible to think OF
the duties and responsibilities of law
yers today as being limited by the
relation of counsel and client
However absorbed counsel may
OCCOlllS III IIlC C1uSS VI Ills CllGIL,
however large and burdensome his
practice, he must not forget that
other duties await him and be ever
mindful Of that other field of duty
wherein the demands upon his phys
tcal, intellectual and moral nature
may be more persistent and obliga'
tory than can be the requirements
of individual clients. That field be-
longs to the public and in it public
service is required.
THAT service is more obligatory
upon lawyers than upon any other
class of citizens, because in the proc.
ess of establishing and maintaining
this government, the people practi-
cally committed it into the hands of
lawyers, and made them in a high
degree responsible for it's admins
tration.
'tNo such qualifications as those
prescribed for lawyers are prescribed
for the governor or members of the
legislature. Indeed, no qualification,
these officers. The reasons for this
difference are obvious and are
grounded on a sound philosophy of
democratic government.
Every true democracy is estab-
lished by and for the people. They
maintain it and direct it and govern
by electing to their political offices
such men as can be trusted to con-
form in their official conduct with
the will Of the people.
Opposes Election of Judges
'But the functions of hose
charged with the administration of
the judicial department are essen
tally different from those of the
legislative or executive. Lawyers,
as well as judges, are officers of the
court.
THE method of electing judges
by the people is theoretically wrong
and in practice thoroughly bad.
But, however chosen, the paramount
duty of judges and lawyers is to
afford impartial and complete pro-
lection to life, liberty and property
and to dispense justice to all alike.
No higher duty and no task more
arduous could be imposed.
Notwithstanding the place of
pre-eminence assigned to them in
our government, many lawyers take
but little interest in politics and
scorn office, especially those offices