Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-05-27
LAWYERS.
Origin of the Popular Prejudice Against
Useful Profession.

Lawyers have been the subject Of
satire and reproach in both pagan and
Christian times. Jack Cade's rebellion
in 1850 was aimed against all con-
cerned with the profession of the law.
Since that time there has grown up q;
popular prejudice, eliminating in the,
belief that strict sense of moral
obligation is inconsistent with the legal
profession.
This charge of moral obliquity,
though untrue in general, is not with
out foundation. The court house is
too often used as play house where
the unscrupulous may personate any
character without being accountable
for words or actions.
But the writings of eminent men
have exerted still greater influence
on the popular mind. While admiring
the beauty of language or the keenness
of satire, ideas are imbibed which are
false and uncharitable. History and
literature are deluged with misrepre-
sentatons, of which only few need be
mentioned.
The death of Justice Randall caused
sorrow to all the poor people at Sur
rev. Ben johnson knew this fact, and
yet furnished food for the scoffer by
writing:
God works wonders now and then,
Here lies a lawyer, an honest man.
1t is said that Sam Butter lost a for
tune through the incompetency or ras-
cality of his lawyer. Perhaps that is
the reason the ''Hudibras" is so full of
scathing sarcasms on the law.
Sir Thomas More makes the absence
of lawyers one of the characteristic
features of his .'Utopia.' - He says:
''They have no lawyers among them,
for they consider them as sort of
people whose profession it is to dis
,g6ise matter as well as to arrest laws. :"
Thus does he deal with his imaginary
Republic; such is the impression left,
whether true or false.
Critics call Charles Dickens carica-
turist, and say his writings are colored
by strong imagination and deep SYM
patby; and yet in the same breath they
applaud the picture of Jarndyce and
| Jarndyce as ''truthfuP' representa-
tion of chancery suit.
| Even CULVER, in his voyage to the
Houyhnhams, says: s'There is.a soci-
ETY. of men among us, bred up from
their youth in the art of proving, by
words multiplied for the purpose, that
white is black and black is white, ac-
cording as they are paid. To this
society all the rest of the people are
slaves"
Thus does Dean Swift add his sar-
casm, prompted, pehaps, by the vexa-
tious prosecutions of his printers and
publishers.
On good authority it is stated that
Coleridge wrote "The Devils
Thoughts while under the influence of
opium, which may account for the fol-
lowing:
He saw O Lawyer killing viper,
On dung-heap beside his stable,
| And the Devil smiled, for it put him in mind
| Of Cain and his brother Abel.
Such passages might be multiplied,
but it would be an ungracious task
The current literature of the day shows
how prevalent is the desire to scof as
the lawyer; but when he becomes nec-
essary or convenient, this Indifference
is replaced by an implicit trust and g.
slayish dependence.-Jdn S. WOIey.
"A lesson IN physics: TenSher-
'What is velocity?" Pupil-''V ''VeJpcity is
what a man puts hot plate down
with. "-Frenede7abl0tt.
The number of plants raised by
man does not exceed three thousand.
An industrious hen will raise more
than that every hour in the day
.Bingbanatom Republican.
-s'Look here, Mr.. Consumer, eVerY
time l go to your house to read your
gasmeter, that internal dog of yours
pitches at me- eyes, he's capital
watch dog. Sagacious, too. Knows a
robber at first sight every time. IN Y
San.
"A sad tale:
There was little man
And he had little can
Ana quart Or more of kerosene was in it:
And upon the kitchen fire
To make it burn still higher
he poured the oil, and in much less than a
quarter of minute
There was no little can,
There was no little man
Inc Fales TOO sad can't go oD-O! Why
did begin it.
Detroit Free Press.
There is a sign on an uptown mil
linery store which reads: s'Call and
see our kids" A man dropped in and
said to the proprietor, II saw your
sign to come in and see the kids I've
got pair at home, and l thought I
would call in and see if yours were
better looking than mine. How many
have youP' The proprietor sternly in
terrupted him: ''You fool! [ mean
gloves. not boys. "-Kjngstoaa Freeman.
CHEER Up! HELP IS AT HAND-"Pm
afraid I shall have to be taken to hos
pital or to the poorhouse. I've been sick
so long that my husband, good and pa
tient as he is, can't stand the worry and
expense much longer" No, you won't
dear wife and mother. See what Parker's
Tonic will do for you. Plenty of women
as badly off as you are, have been rescued
almsot from the grave by it. 1t will
build you up, curing all ailments of the
stomach, liver and kidneys, and is simple,
pleasant and safe. 80