The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-05-17
Lawyers and Lawyers, Fees.

he eoltof OIL tne t'nii aueipHla lseSistef
gives the following as his experience with
The dealings OF lawyers.
-ssWe not only respect lawyers. but have
ae.ively admiration for them. Who ever
heard OF one Of them taking lee in AN
unjust cause2 or doing a. hard hearted
shingi. sor saying what he did not believed
Or eacouraging htigation2 or n,isrepre-
senting evidence 10 the juryl or brow
beating a modest witness! or saving a
villain by legal public quibbie! De Toe
quevlie rightly says that they are the ar
is,ocracy, that is the best men, III the
United STATES. Our own admiration OIL
them is founded OH large experience OF
their virtues. Let US call up, tor a mo-
snent, IRON our pleasant memories OF the
past, The images of u few lawyers OF our
own acquintance.
There IS our friend at Columbus. Mis-
sissippi, who never varies from his scale
Of charges, even for his friends. We sent
him once Tor collection, bill OF nine dol
lars against subscriber. lie collected il
the same day, aud sent US by return mail.
his own bill for a fec oil fifteen dollars,
with polite dun sfor the unpaid balance
Of ok. We rsmit,ed instanter, thanking
him for his lpromplness.
'l,aen, there is the eminent counsellor
at Lake Province, who charged US with
,wo hundred dollars on bill of exchange
tors two thousand, which had been pail
on presentation. We demonstrated, aid
he consoled us for not having collected
: through bank. by the assurance that i
professional etiquette did not forbid. he
would certainly reduce his original charge
&iiich@lie was kind enough 10 admit was
rather TOO heavy. 4's -
~ A still better man was a Texas lawyer
10 whom we entrusted disputed land
claim ~ on AN arrangement called the
..halves,' very common ia that part o
.ths country. A facetlous dog was Smith
About eighteen months elapsed without
our hearing IRON him, He then wrote us
In answer to our twentieth eplstlr. thai
She had done remarkably Well with iht
claim, having compromised II for half the
value OF the propnrty; 'hA, he Pockeied
tho half for his sfee; and that we wer.
really not indebted TO him Tor anything
besides the cost OF a suit he had com
menced and discontinued. We coule
have fairly hugged the fellow for his ga,
and careless humor. fta 7f q
80, lie did not give US half the trouble W.
had with a lawyer out al jefferson a.City
who had collected Tor Us claim ot sever
I'll hundred dollars. Punciual as acor
respondent, he advised US by the; frs
fsmail. oisahe receipt of the money. nddini
that; the mails were made very rregula
by the oyernewiug OF the river. and b.
did not think il safe TO remit. We waite
: until summer time-untii one could al
most wa,le the upper Missouri. The rive
was so low then. he said, he found it eS
tremely inconveDient to get his paper I
Tie bank where he usually had it cashet
.Asfhe season passed. and innnmerable 1e
sers were exchanged in regard TO rem
fiag drafts. and inunda,ions. At las
being in need Of funds. we wrote that "
s must must insis, on. having the money, irr.
8 spec,iye OF the state of the water. II
WAS an honest creature at heart, and ser
= II, forge :,ing 10 add two years gin,eres
but ded ducting l2 per cent. for his fee.
~, Lawy ers will be a little lazy sometime
.xrbm can we blame nun for physical r
rssaptness or inactivity? The latest or
We eyer knew lived at Shawneeiown. u
lie had promised for year or two,
a-srenia 70 Louisville some money he hs
: collected Tor US. Business.like demand
esjolery, persuasion. argument and me
ace had no effect on him. lie Won
write no more. At last we sent him
: full the anecdote OF the man who was
lazy that he ate apples off the tree. n
being energetic enough to pluck the'
This touched the right spot. and he rous
himself so far as TO send us the none
The effect may have killed him, TOR !
= have never heard Of him since.
In no profession is there more chi
alrous sense Of honor ihan.in that OF /
law. We have lively rslnembrance
having been long kept in constant bod
= Sear ~ a lawyer Of Little Rock. Arkans'
He nlaintained a most obstinate silrn
for more than one year after receiving
us the full amount of a claim. To al
tef in which we. demanded an immedis
ana sa.isfselosy adjuslmsnt Of the matt
hs fnsMsrsd that our: former letters ws