The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-29
LAWYERS ENDORSE
 ]. w. UNDERWOO
 F0R HIGH OFFICE
Florence Selected As Next Meeting Place Of Bar
 Association

MOBILE, Ala, April 2S.-(Special Leased Wire )-Concludin its forty sixth annual convention with ses- sion on board the steamer Bay Queen en route to Fort Morgan on an eX cursion Saturday, the Alabama State Bar association indorsed United States Senator oscar W. Underwood for President and recommended the selection of Florence as the place for the next meeting.
 Members of the association in clared it was successful from every angle and were unanimous in their praise of the cordial reception and hospitality received in Mobile. The convention opened Thursday morn ing and was marked by the discus sion and consideration of several questions of far-reaching importance to the members of the legal profess
 on in Alabama. Action was taken |, the association on d number of bjects of major interest
 Many of the visitors left Saturday night for their homes in the various parts of the state, following the re- turn late in the afternoon from the voyage on the bay. Some of the
 
 ing for Saturdays program, although a big delegation made the trip to Fort Morgan and participated in the closing business session aboard the boat.
 Reading of papers by w Marvin Woodall of Birmingham and w. w. Sanders of Elba, report by J. Kelly Dixon of Talladega on the trip of the Alabama delegation to the Amer ican Bar association conference in San Francisco in August, the in dorsement of Senator Underwood for President of the United States, and the expression of a desire to accept the invitation of the tri-cities of Florence. Sheffield and Tuscumbia as the place for the 1924 convention were the principal business matters disposed of at the final session. Webb Sponsors Resolution.
 James H. Webb of Mobile, former chairman of the state democratic ex- ecutive committees introduced the motion proposing the indorsement of Senator Underwood for nomination and election as the nations chief executive. The motion was seconded by Henry Upson Sims of Birming ham, The vote of the assembly was unanimous.
 Suggestion was made to the exec utive committee by the adoption of a motion by the convention members that the meeting next year be set for the period between June 30 and July A. in order that the lawyers would find it more convenient to at tend the gathering. It was explained that fewer courts over the state are in session at that time than on dates heretofore fixed for the conventions of the bar association.
 w. Marvin Woodall of Birming- ham, in presenting paper on Pro fessionalism Against Commercialism in the Practice of Law" delivered severe criticism of so-called "shyster lawyers" or "ambulance chasers.
 An honorable legal profession is the palladium of justice and free- dom, without which our government itself cannot exist, and the common rights of the people preserved" as- serted MT. Woodall.
 Stendfnst To Ideals.
 "The task of safeguarding the in- terests of the profession Is particu- as guardians of their rights to hold steadfast the highest ideals of the profession and to see to 1t that It's escutcheon of honor be not be- smirched with the stain of commer- cialism.'
 tice resorted to by "shyster" law vers. the speaker declared that the mercenary spirit is not confined all together to the lawyers hanuiins damage claims, but declared it lis reaching out its octupus feelers into every field of litigation
 MT. Woodall pleaded that the le- gal profession must be composed or intelligent men or it is doomed
 He reviewed the comprehensive legislative program sponsored by the Birmingham Bar association and asked that the State Bar association add it's approval to the proposed measures. On a motion presented at the close of his paper, the assocla- tion went on record as lnuorsins tle nrinciples of Birmingham associa-