Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1881-07-31
7 OHATORICAL REMINESCENCE
Tom COx's Famous speech ON the Ophir
Mining suit-His SqCe .ehfng OF
Tom Fitch.

.
. There is an old story told at the ex
: pense of Tom Fitch which for year
? has been current as an anecdOte witt
: the lawyers all over the coast If
5 ever saw print it was so long ago that
it is worth reproducing. In ia it i
one of those good stories which viii
always be worth reproducing. No one
can tell the story better than Tom Fitch
himself A good many years ago sui
was brought against the Ophir Mining
Company at time when its power AND
prestige overshadowed everything on
the Comstock. Stew lrt and B lldWin
were attorneys for the defense at the
beginning of the suit, which dragged
along for several years and wound up
with Tom Fitch as counsel. The plain
lifts attorney was Tom Cox # Virginia,
a lawyer who has of late years dropped
out Of sight and no one seems to know
what has become of him. His spec, h
will live forever It was as follows:
"May it please the Court. Only a
| few years ago, when the suit was
brought, the word Of Ophir might have
stood against the world; the time is fast
approaching when there will be none
so poor to do it reverence. 1t Was an
act of unexpected courage in my client
| when he determined to measure swOr,'s
(purses he could not with this formid-
able but now declining power. TT e
outlook was indeed unpIomising. but
how changed is the stu alton. In pro-
portion as our cause has strengthened
that of our adversary has oeen under
mined. We CRIPPLED with Il giant, but
are now dealing with child. When
we dared to sue the Ophir Company its
power oversh allowed the land. Sed tie
functionaries delighted to obey its high
est behest. 1t WIS the only king Of
the Comstock lead; it had an unfathOm-
able mine of solid silver, and besides its
buried ore, it had piles Of yellow gold
above the surface II had locust host
of officers, agents and employees. 1t run
great tunnels into the earth, unlocked
the secret vaults where treas res lay
entomed. 1t built magnificent bridges,
spanning wide lakes and noble streams.
1t erected a costly mill and surrounded
it with Il fence 50 close and high that the
outside world WIS in continuous dark
ness as to what Was ground up within.
1t did more. 1t owned public officers,
it commanded the Legislators and it had
for its advisers a nun VINO developed
into United States Senator, and an
other who had become United States
District Judge. Behold it now. "A
long ,use.] How mournfuI the change
which has come upon the spirit of its
dream! [Another pause. What do
we see? No longer does it awe its adj
versaries into submission. 1t 10 longer
shines like fixed star. Its portion Of
the Constock lead is a miserable disap-
pointment; its servants are poorly fed
and poorly feed [sens.ation], and they
no more hasten hitIler and thither with
alacrity. Its magnificent bridges have
arches. A hush has fallen
upon its works. y great mill is des-
)late and its high felce PROSTATE. Its
bank Vaults are empty. Its mine is
flooded with hot water and choked with
desert sands, and AS if stern fate de-
reed its cupof humiliation should over
low, it has been compelled to fill back
IN Tom Fitch as one of its attorneys"
AS Cox spoke he pointed down at
Fitch and looked at him with the air of
, m IN who Was trying to discern some
small object on the ground. For the
irst time in his life Fitch was too nom
,lussed to reply. A roar of laughter
vent up lasting for several minutes. 1t
Vas finally subdued by the Sheriff, and
when all WIS still again Fitch, whose
,row had all along worn a scowl of con-
empt, suddenly burst into a laugh, as
f he had just comprehended the Joke
md next day he Was repeating the ora
oricai effort of Cox word for word to
listeners To-day he know 5
hat speech better than he does the
4ord's Prayer.
VucanOvich.