The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-08-24
FAITH BROKEN
IN UNDERLYING
INSTITUTIONS
Situation Must be Recognized
and 1t Must be Met, De-
clares G.. l.. Young
SPLAKS TO LAWYERS
They Are Urged to Take the
Leadership in Answering
Attacks Made
(Snecial TO The Tribune.)

Devils Lake, N. d., Aug. A.-Chal-
lenges to the legal profession. which
always has been an important fac
tor in the making Of American gov
eminent, were laid before the mem
bers of the North Dakota State Bar
Association here today by c. l..
Young of Bismarck in an address.
Mr.. Young said, in part:
an the industrial, scientific, eco
nomic and political worlds the
thought of today needs not the
thought Of yesterday. With the
good or i'll of this ! am not now
concerned. Out of this fact has
grown clamor for changes in our
fundamental law and in our pro-
cedure and in our politico-legal phil
osophy, and a defiance of law itself.
While these conditions demand the
serious consideration Of every
thoughtful citizen, they challenge in
particular the interest and study and
thought and patriotic action of every
reputable member of the bar, for
they touch the very vitals Of our
national existence.
"The lawyer has or should have
that background of training, knowl-
edge and experience which is essen
tal to the proper enlightenment and
guidance of popular thought upon
the fundamentals of government, the
work Of the courts. the enforcement
Of law. and the adaptation of law to
industrial and commercial and social
PROGRESS. ~ popular THOUGHT is not
crided nv those grounded in the es-
snntia1s Of government. it will be
Guided bv the visionary and the
fanatic Unless action is taken by
the informed You NAV ewnect it to
hc tnhnr NV the uninformed.
1T is easy to meet her eand dis
cuss the assaults on the constitution
and our nee institutions, but the
place Tor discussion and instruction
IS IA the school room and the forum
and the market place. There is
consciousness in the public mind Of
hanging conditions, a lack of knowl-
edge OF the fundamental principles
which underlie the liberty and pro-
lection re cherish, and doubt rs to
theit adaptabilty to the new order.
1t our duty, + we are true to our
trust, TO note these changes and their
attendants demands, and to assume
he possibility which is ours to
help develop a healthy public opin-
ION, COR out of it grows our legisla-
,ion and executive action. 1t is bet
ter 10 prevent the passage of an un-
wise law than to declare it void
after II is passed The use of pre-
vontiQe means will serve the general
welfare better than the most skill
fui surgery after the disease has
.ripped This is as true in the field
Of government as in the field Of
health
Breakdown in Faith.
Grant It OF not, but we are face
70 face with breakdown Of faith in
the uaderly. ns principles Of govern
ment. Here IS a condition to chal-
lenge the mettle of the most valiant.
The creed of the men who gave US
The constitution was that the state
exists for the individual. If each
member of the state be secure in his
rights and liberties, all will have as
full a measure of happiness and we'll
being as men by taking thought can
give. Each man has rights which u
majority can not impair, nor all the
men of one day surrender for the
men of the next. But we have veer-
ed away from this individualism.
There are calls now for the action of
the government in the interest of
this class or that. One group is ar
rayed increasingly against another.
With the growth of class conscious
ness has come the cry that our con-
stitutions are calculated to favor the
privileged. So far has this feeling
gone that we are aware Of legisla-
ton secured by intimidation, and it
must be expected that more will be
demanded. Last year the committee
on Citizenship, Of the American Bar
Association, reported that in its
judgment, if the constitution could
be submitted to vote of the peo-
pie, a large number would vote in
favor Of abolishing it all Together.
1.-THE assault upon our institutions
ranges all the way from the carry
ing Of banners through the streets
Of our large cities to the effect that
there is no liberty, to the serious
proposal that no inferior federal
judge set aside law Of congress on
the ground that it is unconstitution-
al, and that if the supreme court
holds a law UNCONSTITUTIONAL, con-
gress may by re-enacttng it, nullify
the action of the court. And in the
rampant bolshevism 30 manifest in
much of the political thought Of the
time, that proposal finds favor.
have no doubt that the great mass
of those who are. criticising one or
another. or all, branches of the gov !.
eminent, are espousing this or that
theory in the fond belief that If APP 4
rlied it will promote the general vel
fare and will add to the blessings of
liberty.
"The trouble is that these people
do not know to what extent the
rights and privileges which they en-
JOY are safegusrded by the instru-
ment they would nullify. They are
not s.ware Of the extent to which they
ARE enjoying rights and privileges
which have MAIDS America distinctive
among the nations Of the earth, and
have made It literally land Of
promise and sof fnlfllment to the
MILLIONS who have hocked TO its |
shares The remedy for gr,mbling
ana dislovalty and muffled threats Of |
reN01utf6n and near-treason lies IN
.edIeatipn. The fnsn n the street !
must know that opr constitution was
pIt into writing % 2pafantss to the
people he fnhl r 4aab3o Ytelit1 which