Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-07-15
LAWYERS AND COURT REFORM

The following letter, taken from
a North Carolina paper, is handed
|! us for publications:
For several weeks I have noticed
in your paper many articles pro and
con on the subject of the presi-
dents court reform bill These ar
ticles are written for the purpose of
influencing the public and of course,
give the viewpoint of the individual
writing the article or of the client
he represents, if he is a lawyer. The
most amusing thing to me is the
fact that none of them set forth in
their articles whom they represent.
AS practicing attorney with exper-
ience of 80 years before the bars Of
the state and United States, and for
a few years before that as a teacher
in the schools of North Carolina,
have some very decided views on
the subject. / want to state that as
an attorney l represent no corpora
| tion or predatory interest and have
| no retainer fee from any person,
firm or corporation. My income is
solely from representing the ordi-
nary man in the courts and the in
come from my farm, therefore the
public can see the angle from which
| / speak.
/ notice in some of the writings
| that it is stated that there are 49,
900 members of the American Bar
association and that tickets have
| been mailed to them inviting them
to express their views, whether for
or against the judicial reform bill
as proposed by our president, and
that out of the replies 1912 are
against the proposal and 1868 are
| for it and the president of the Amer
| lean Bar association seems to take
| this as a mandate that the lawyers
are against the proposal. and the
public should follow them.
May | call the public's attention
| to the deception in this statement?
| If my information is correct there
are approximately 10000 licensed
attorneys in the United States Or
under the United States government.
Out of this number less than 800
| are members of the American Bar
association. Of this 10000 | think
| am perfectly safe in saying that at
| least 10000 of those are Republican
lawyers and possibly $4,000 of the
10000 represent corporations, giant
business concerns and other preda-
tory interests, who have opposed at
| all times, the principles of the new
deal and the progressive ideas or
Mr.. Roosevelt. and the great mass
of farmers, laborers, small mer-
chants. and small business estab-
| ilishments in the United States and
therefore their sentiments and eX-
/ 11rr
they are Influenced by those they
represent.
| 1t would be perfectly fair to the
public for those lawyers who are
condemning the presidents reform
bill to come out over their sigma
lures and state just whom they rep
resent and who their clients are.
believe / am safe in saying that 80
percent of the lawyers in the United
States who are fighting this court
reform bill have retainer fees by
those interests who would profit by
| the defeat of the presidents pro-
posaI. Therefore the public in gen
eral, if they lay their cards on the
table and give the whole truth,
would then not be Influenced by
them.
| / also want to say to the PUBIC
THAT the American Bar association
does not represent the sentiment of
the lawyers of the United States be-
cause the members of the American
Bar association are only a little
more than one-ffth of the lawyers
lof the country.
| We should approach this PROPOSE
ltion with an open and fair mind and
before selecting the jury to pass
upon the issue find out what the in
lterests Of the jurors are in the ques-
ltion involved. This is the rule In
the court room in selecting jury
to try a murderer, or to pass upon
any issue of fact between the It'll
gants; and if it develops that any
Jury has any personal or pecuniary
Interest, either way in the outcome,
he is disqualified to serve as juror,
and certainly no one would be al
flowed to sit if in the employ OF
either of the interested parties.
When person, firm, or corporation