Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-03-21
Brother 6ardner Uu Lawyers.

Each day as / look ober my paper" said
the old man as the lights were turned up, al
see a case of embezzement, wholesale rob-
berry, breach of trust or misuse Of odder peo-
ples money. One day it am de cashier of a
bank de mex day it am city or county
treasurer de mex it am some corfdenshul
clerk or bank president, or de treasurer OF
some corporation 1t is an era of stealin'
an embezzln' an fraud. No man who has
money in de hand of friend or employee
feels safe. No man who depends upon an
other man knows what day may bring
FORTH"
"What brung bout dis state OF affairs ?
Who profits by it 2 Who aids de offenders
TO escape Z"
There was silence throughout the hall as
the president paused and looked up and
down. Samuel Shin was about to rise up
and explain that he hadn't made dollar
ont of it yet, and didn't expect to, when
Pickles Smith hit him with the big end OF
potato and Brother Gardner continued:
'"I arraign de bar of de kentry an charge
de lawyers, big an little, wild bein' de di-
rect cause of dis reign of knavery. Three
men outer five am honest only until der am
chance to make haul by bein' dishonest.
One man outer three will be dishonest on all
occasions whar dar am chance to escape
consequences. If dar was no law to punish
dishonesty, we wouldn't find one man in
twenty dom de honest thing for principles
sake. 1t am de fear of consequences which
keeps thousands of clerks an cashiers an
treasurers honest.
"An' what do de lawyers say TO ebery
man who's fingers itch to make a haul
Dsy might as well advertise at reg'lar rates
dat dey will guarantee to clear 'em OF de
law for a sartin. Let me steal S75 900 in
cash an nine-tenths of the lawyers of Detroit
will be eager to defend me-to effect COM
promise-to hush it up-to clear me OF
punishment. About de best Legal talent in
America makes specially of defendin'
criminals. Amy lawyer am looked upon as
good 'nuff fur prosecutin' attorney, while de
VERY keenest talent am reserved for defense
of thieves, burglars aud odder law-breakers."
"Time after time men have stolen or EN-
bezzed, an de lawyers have taken sheer
of de plunder to clear EN-. We've had half
dozen cases right yere within two y'ars,
an we am sartin to have mo-. Let me steal
a ton of coal, an up CO. Let me get my
claws on $4,000 an' | doan' go up for
shucks. | may be rested an toted off to
Jail, but inside of a week de case am settled
up, an | walk de streets hero. DE law
vers return $4,000 of de money, pocket
S9,950 an han me fifty as a reward fur
bringin' 'em fat case.
"Suppose it war known dat ebery burglar
fairly convicted would receive twenty years
in prison, wild no possibility OF pardon,
would we have one burglar whar' we now
have two2 Who makes burglary q payin'
purfeshun De lawyer"
"If clerk who embezzled was sartin TO
receive five or ten years sentence how
many cases of embezzlement would you ha'r
of in year? An who makes embezzle-
ment payin' bizness De lawyer"
"If dat Rochester bank president am sent
to state prison for twenty years what will be
de effeck on odder Rochester bank presi-
dents But he won't be. De lawyers have
gathered to his aid, an will defeat justice"
81 am spokin what believe to be de
solemn truf, when | say to you that law has
become farce, an lawyers de middlemen
between robbers an de robbed De ques-
tion am how to break de law-not how to
enforce it. 1t am not how to put thief
into prison, but how to keep him out. 1t
am not how to punish dishonest officials
but how to gently squeeze out as much as
dey kin restore, an forgive de remainder.
Lst us purceed to bizness, feelin' dat what
ever crimes we commit we stan two chances
of goiu' clear to one of punishment" DE
troa Free Press.