Show GENTLEMEN Oh Of THE BAR BARThen When Then any business or profession or callIng falls into publIc disesteem there IS generally some valId underlying reason for that unfortunate situatIOn But It IS also true that usually such a for for- forfeIture forfeiture of public confIdence IS due to the attitude and actIons of a small minority of the individuals composing the group concerned It can not be denied that in recent years pal particularly the legal profession has to a considerable degree lost ca caste te In the opinion opinion ion of a large element of our cItIzenshIp Even the JudIciary In Inmany inmany many instances has not been held beyond reproach Justly or unjustly the feeling has grown glown that pettifogging and sharp practice have been too much m in eVIdence thereby delay delay- delaying delaying ing If not defeating the ends of JustIce It IS refreshing then to note that the AmerIcan Bar Association Itself at ItS recent lecent annual conventIon In Milwaukee took cognizance of thIS sItuatIon and wIll move to COll correct It President Evans courageously stated the case to hI his fellow lawyers In a can can- candId candid dId address ess In whIch he saId It seems better to recognize and deal wIth the attItude of the public as It actually IS and not as we wIsh It were For instance the publIc believes that we ve harbor and othel otherwise WIse encourage crook crook- crooked crooked ed lawyers and we cannot enter a convincing denial demal of the charge We Ve have not harbored or encouraged them in n any dIrect or affIrmatIve way fay but bute e c e do know and the publIc knows that we have not trIed very hard hald to protect the public from flom the ravages of unworthy thy lawyers ObVIOusly It IS up to the reputable members of the bar who are m in the vast majority and have the power to do It to clean house whenever and wherever circumstances make such action necessary necessary sary If they do not do It they have only themselves to blame If the publIc shall continue to look askance at the legal professIOn as asa asa a whole Secretary Roper pleads for a balanced life Why not take a tIght rope walker valker as a model Some v ho declare they would die for theIr country could per per- form perform theIr most useful serVIce by doing It The tIme old lass got along wIth one spinning wheel but the modern gill must have four of them and a spare From some official notIces we have seen it appears that a good many establishments are behind with the installments on their Blue Eagle |