The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-11-17

Of the law whers do you think you will

of the law whers do you think you will
come out?"
John Earring smiled again. 81 ex-
pect to come out an honest man. l
have heard it intimated that no out
come is of finer kind than that
"You don't go in to win then?''
'tYes, sir, when in the line of JUS
tice; otherwise would not care to-
Suppose man comes to you who
is guilty and offers you money to de-
fend him, what would you do in such
case?"
"If satisfied that he was guilty /
would not under any circumstances
touch his money or his case"
The old man sighed. "Well, then,
suppose the man caused you to believe
him innocent, and when the evidence
was given in court you should become
convinced that he was guilty, sup
pose you would simply help the other
fellows get a verdict"
81 should certainly not make an APP
peal before the jury in the guilty per-
sons defense. Why, sill" and John
Earring got up and walked about in
his sad, passionate way, lit should not
be lawyers business to defeat the
law. 1t is absurd, nay, more than
that, it is criminal! How can man
respect himself or hold himself
blameless, who, by shrewdness,
chicanery, eloquence, or by any other
use of his best or meanest gifts, sue
ceeds in restraining the law, which
through him should be helped to sue
cessful operation, and thus turn loose
again thief or murderer to prey
upon his fellows7 By what light shall
man look into the eyes of his own
conscience and seem worthy of its APP
proval who succeeds in beating back
one who is trying to get justice, or
fastens a wrong upon one who is at
tempting to throw it off? In my opin-
ion no consideration of dollars and
cents can make it right, nor should any
tenderness for name. fame, friends or
prospects persuade man from putting
his foot squarely upon it. "
The old lawyer shook his head.
"You' sop us up! wipe us Quit! he
laughed. "Why, there would soon be
nothing for us to do! We have to keep
the pot hot and full of confusion, boy!
Doctors and lawyers are most in clover,
you know, when others are in trouble.
No, no; we can't turn saviors OF men
unless our ranks get thinner than they
are now"
"Well, presume number could be
spared and the world not find it a
catastrophe, said John Earring, dryly.
Fright you are, right you are said
the old lawyer, getting up and begin
ming to put on his great coat to go
home. John Earring helped him with
it, and the old man said, as he thrust
his grizzly chin up in the air to fasten
the throat-button: 'sWell, my expert
ence has simply been that the law is a
mill to grind fools in. A kind of dew
ilish perpetual motion, you know; in.
visible buzz-saw; slow, but sure, stran-
gulation, or something like that. Don't
think a man could conduct a case sue
cessfully with hymn in his heart and
Bible in his hand. A man might be
honest at it, perhaps, but he would be
such an unspeakable wonder thai
lightnin' would mt 60 near him, much
less man with case.
John Earling laughed. He knew the
old lawyers mental habits too well te
think that he had exposed more than
one side of his sentiments. The young
mans face kept its undampened glow
as he said: II suspicion that the color
of the law depends very much upon the
high or low altitude from which one
views it. For my own part if | can moi
be manly, generous and just, if car
not be honest and upright and of un.
questioned service to my fellows,
shall quit the law and 60 to tilling the
ground. A man can certainly be hon
est behind plow?"
''Snum me! but doubt it!' said the
old lawyer, as he went out.
John Earring lit the gas with a smile
on his face and sat down and went tt
work, and the old attorney, passin
down the cold street in the gatherin 2
shadows with his head very low in the
great collar of his coat, muttered: "It''
hair and no mistake. but snum me, i
it amt as fine as a SPIDERS beard!"