Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-07


his oath of office when he attempts to mislead
or consciously presses for an unjust Judgment
But this is neither the time nor place to dis
cuss this matter 1urther. Enough has oeen
already said to lead us to infer, at least, that
courts and counsel must 60 hand in hand,
marching with equal step to common end, 10
amity and good will. so that it may be literally
true in practice as well as theory, as declared
by our great commentator, that courts are
places where Justice is judieially administered.
1t has been said, and I believe it to be true,
that the character of the berch will depend
very much upon the character of the bar. and
that careless, ignorant or unpunctual bar is
calculated TO engender like careleBsness, ig-
norance and want of promptness and energy on
the part of the bench. And if it we're possible
to conceive of such thing as generally dis
honest and faithless bar, it would inevitably
have a demoralizing effect upon the bench.
The lawyer is the embryo Judge, and you can
no more make an honest and learned judge out
of dishonest and ignorant lawyer than you
can make the flowers of the tropics thrive and
bloom upon the ice-clad mountains of Green
land. Men do not gather grapes from thorns,
nor figs from thistles
A PALPABLE MORAL DRAWN.
The moral of all this then is that both bench
and bar should strive to so demean themselves
that the public will learn to have confidence in
their honesty and ability. and SO that the con-
verse of the words OF Touchstone may become
literally true, and so that it might be earnestly
and truly said: IF thou vast ever in court
thou saws't good manners"
And now, gentlemen. suppose I ought to
stop and give somebody else q chance, but
have filed myself so full Qiterally) and wound
myself up SO tight (hgurattvelyl that do not
feel as If 1 was more than half run down, and
like some preacher who has got 10 hfteenthly,
1 have Just begun to be warmed up to the oc-
casion. But sad as it makes me to let you on
SO easilv suppose 1 must stop or you Will be-
gin to think that am very much like fellow
I once knew who used to play the mouth organ
and make you feel like resorting to the same
means of getting rid Of me as we were occasion
ly compelled to use toward him. He was rather
averse to playing for anybody except just when
he happened to be in the mood. 1t was indeed
very difficult to persuade him to play at all;
but when you once got him started
the only way to stop him was by
kicking him downstairs. But Will say few
more words at all LaZards. Some years ago
had the honor to sit next to General Grant at a
banquet given him in this city. he was ex-
pected to make a speech on the occasion, and,
like myself, was much pleased with the chance,
he so delighted to make speeches. His re-
marks were of course, neither so long nor so
entertaining as mine have been. But that was
not his fault-only his misfortune. He did
the best he could. One cannot be expected to
be great in everything. Horace says: 'Un1us
omnes artis consequi memo protest" 1 once
read that though Grant might not be great
orator, he wrote with his sword. How could
you expect such speech as this TO pc wrote
with swordr' It can't be done! Inc only
mark where the real point comes in. When he
had got through his little piece and took his
seat. he threw himself back in his chair, and
with look of the greatest satisfaction salo to
me as l say to you: Nov that l am done,
will take the greatest pleasure in enjoying the
misery of the other speakers"
Robert D. Wilson, a young attorney,
made one of the most brilliant speeches of
the evening. He replied to the toast,
"Overruled, Criticised, Distinguished aud
- i
on decision of the Supreme Court at Phil
adelphia Yesterday, in which he lost his
first case before that body. The case was
argued before Judge Slagle some months
ago, and was an action for damages against
the Pennsylvania Railroad for killing
a mule. The lower court held
that it was not negligence
on the part of the company that
killed the mule. One of the arguments
used by the defendants counsel was that
the mule should have stopped at the cross
ing, looked and listened for the danger sig
nal from the engineer. The sides of the
wise Judges present ached as they roared at
the Young barrister's sstirical arguments.
John D. Shater replied to the toast Leg
islation." He reviewed and criticised the
acts of the Legislature. The speech was
listened to with great interest.
THE NEsToR OF THE BAR.
Toastmaster McCIung now called upon
the ''Nestor of the Bar" Thomas M. Mar
shall. ESQ.,, to respond to the toast Of 'sThe
Public Press" Mr.. McClung humorously
suggested that it was Mr.. Marshalls well
known regard for the newspapers which
the selection, as an ironical sally
which brought down the house. MI.
Marshall, on arising. received an ovation.
He spoke with more than his accustomed
fervor, giving, however, as was expected,
hard knocks to the press as he went along.
The newspapers of the time, he said, did not
come up to his ideal. Horace Greeley's
paper was, in the days of Mr.. Greeley. one
which met the standard. Newspapers gen.
orally were too much given to SEN
and too little to in
dependent and capable discussion
of public topics free from the trammels of
party and from the influence of party lead
ers. Mr.. Marshall dwelt at great length on
what he regarded as the offenses of omission
and commission by the press. Its tendency,
he held, was too much toward aggression
upon private rights in the publication of
mere private matters which did not properly
belong to the public, and in consequence of
which individuals were damaged without
benefit to the community; and too much
again in the line of silent submis-
sion to the dictates of party man
ayers. The seeming acquiescence of
the press in Senator Quay's dlctation of the
nomination of Delamater for Governor of
was cited by way of instance.
Mr.. Marshall enlivened his speech with
local and personal illustrations of humor-
ous turn which set the audience in roars of
laughter. He said he had friends as we'll
ia -
timated that the severity of his criticisms
was intended to be useful for reproof and
rather than the outgrowth of any
antagonism to an Institution
whose possibilities for good he was willing
to admit he had seen efficiently illustrated
in some cases.
WOODWARD AND EWING wIND-UP.
1t was II o'clock before Mr.. Marshall
finished. Next came Marcus A. Woodward,
ESQ.,, who spoke on "The Lawyer and His
Relation to Politics" Mr.. Woodward
urged independence of thought and action
BY the members of the Bar on political
issues. He said the Bar Association of
Allegheny County had already made its
power felt in the improvement of the laws
and in the selection of fit men for officers of
5he Courts.
The lateness of the hour prevents fuller
report of Mr.. Woodward's remarks, as well
Is the closing address, which was by
Judge Ewing, being a review of |
he dinner and of the meats, physi- |
al and metaphorical, which had |
been provided. Judge Ewing was received |
oy the audience standing, and though the |
hour for the last trains had come he was |
heard to the close. The audience then arose |
and sang "Auld Lang Syne." after which it |
dispersed in a state of great enthusiasm |
over the success Of the occasion.
Captain Breck, Mr.. Dickey, Toastmaster
and their colleagues on the COM
nittee of arrangements, were rendered no |
md of congratulations on the manner in |
which the event passed off.