The Outlook

A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

VOLUME CII.

SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER, 1912

FOUR MONTHS

THE OUTLOOK COMPANY

NEW YORK

185697

SEPTEMBER 7, 1912

LYMAN ABBOTT, Editor-in-Chief

HAMILTON W. MABIE, Associate Editor

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Contributing Editor

The Bar Association
and the Negro
the lawyers who gath-
ered together at the meeting of the American
Bar Association at Milwaukee last week.
Both of these questions have been involved
in the political campaign, but they are not
primarily political. One of them is the Negro
question; the other is the question as to the
relation between the people and their courts.
The Negro question was presented in a very
practical form. Some time ago three lawyers
were proposed for membership in the Ameri-
can Bar Association. They were members
of the bar in good standing, and were vouched
for professionally. The executive committee
of the Association to whom these three candi-
dates were recommended accepted them as
members of the Association. It then became
known to the executive committee and mem-
bers of the Association generally that these
three lawyers were Negroes. Probably no
general publicity would have been given to
this matter if it had not been for the fact
that one of the three has been appointed by
the President of the United States as an
Assistant Attorney-General. When the fact
that he and the two others were Negroes
became generally known, there was a protest
from members of the Association. The reason
for the objection was alleged to be that the Bar
Association was primarily a social organization,

Two very practical question as this ought not to be left for final questions were before decision by a committee, but should be actod upon by the whole body. We are glad to say that the Bar Association, in taking up this subject, confirmed the election of these three colored lawyers. By this action the Bar Association has rendered a service, not primarily to these particular lawyers, but to its own standing. If the Bar Association were merely a social club, there is no reason whatever why its members should not prefer to keep its membership confined exclusively to the white race. By recognizing the membership of Negroes, however, the Association has declared that it is not a club, but is a body of men organized in the interests of a great profession, and of the high ends to which that profession is dedicated. Incorporated in the resolutions recognizing these three men as members was a statement to the effect that, "as it has never been contemplated that members of the colored race should become members of this Association,” recommendations of colored men for membership should hereafter be always accompanied with a statement of the candidate's We can see nothing objectionable in this statement concerning the practice hitherto of the Association, and none but good reasons for making it clear hereafter that such a misunderstanding as has raised this question this time should not occur again. One of the three colored lawyers, upon having his membership confirmed, immediately resigned from the Association. He did not withdraw until the fundamental question regarding race lines had been passed upon; but, that being settled, he, with great selfrespect, relinquished his membership, since it had been the product of a misunderstanding. A difficult question which might easily have resulted in a bitter and lasting controversy has thus, by the application of good sense, been settled with general credit. The other question, that relating to the relation

that the feeling for the social separation 0 e races was so strong, particularly in in parts of the country, that it was ...wise to admit colored men to membership. On the ground that the names of these men had been submitted without any statement that they were colored men, and that therefore their election was brought about under - a misapprehension, the committee rescinded its own action and feferred the whole matter to the Association itself. In doing this, it seems to us, the committee, if it was acting within its power, did wisely. Such a

race.