Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-29

mentaries of equal scope with Black
stones. But the time Is not yet"
\ +
Peril may confront the law gradu-
ateS, argues the Kansas City Journal
Post, If there is. to be literal adherence
70 the outlined course. The lawyers, nat
urally. are interested in correction of
the law. But one can pass better even
on what the law ought to be IL he has
an understanding of the background of
the law as 1t is. There has been con-
siderable experimentation in lawmaking,
extending back to earliest civilization.
ArcneologiSts have unearthed quite an
elaborate code ascribed to Harnmurabi.
who reigned In Babylon about 1000 BIC.
1t contained about 5000 words, en-
STaved on stone. So there Is a record
OF law extending over $500 years that
ought TO be of some interest to a Young
man who has decided to dedicate him
self to the law. Perhaps experts may so
condense and simplify it as to permit
itS study through notes on lectures or
through slender volumes, but certainly
q lawyer ignorant Of this record of the
entire past could not be learned in the
law, no matter how well he mastered
the particular cases he had before the
courts: He would be only high grade
robot" t4-tt..
Maj. Bruce Craven, writing in the
New York Times, also criticizes the new
conception of the study of law with the
statement: Blackstone did not live in
our day, but We yet use the same
phraSeology in conveying real estate for
the very good reason that it is the same
real estate. A man has the same right
to live and to the fruits of his own
labor A mans house still ought to be
his castle, and would be except for the
rlOlld 0f 1aoo1 frfffariv10S ko% =
the weightier matters. The essential
principles of real law do not change
with the things Of the moment, and
there will be no progress in the simpli-
fication OF law and procedure and en-
forcement until we are able to dis
unguish between what is truly law and
the private and local bylaws that are
not"
~ X
"The tendency MEANS" according to
the Springfield Illinois State Journal,
the passing of the common-law practi-
toner who was the mightiest man at
the bar In the early days of the present
century. No longer will 1t be possible
Tor an able man, equipped only with an
instructive sense of justice and an ac-
quaintance with Sir williams precepts,
70 gam eminence as practitioner. The
man who knows the law because he has
knowledge of what the law ought to
be already is out of the running. He is
unable to compete with the lawyer who
has abandoned the reasoning route and
who devoteS his energies to acQuaintine
himself with new statues and catalogu-
ing recent decisions affecting cases in
which he is interested"
"Old-time lawyers" suggests the
Louisville Times, would find that most
OF their ways of making a living had
been taken away. They would have
little or no income from former sources
OF revenue. Trust companies, title COM
panieS, banks, consultations now do
through few lawyers vast amount of
business once scattered among large
numbers. There will be those who will
deplore the passing Of the old-time
family lawyer. But he goes to join the
old-time family doctor. Each was use
ful and faithful In his day: neither
would have q chance In these DAYS of
highly specialized legal and medical
Constitutions have been rewritten"
remarks the Springfield (Missouri)
Leader, "and by men who never heard
or Blackstone. The organic law of the
land is sometimes made merely an in
Strument to express the provisions of
statute and the best informed lawyer
admits he Is at sea as to what It Is all
about. The basis of law now is for the
majority to make lawful all that it
wants and unlawful all that 1t does not
want. and with this as a starting point,
why Blackstone?"
The Evansville Courier concludes:
All problems still go back to the courts
Tor ultimate judgment on basic prin-
ciples. But 1t Is true that the admins
tration OF justice has spread through
more varied agencies than ever before.
The courts have not broken down, but
hey need help. Don't scorn Black
stone. though. He had great run. He
S still worth reading, II any one likes
occasionally TO tackle something hard
ma meaty, with an antique favor. by
way Of contrast with the thin. eaEv
modern stun we usually read .