Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-01-25
MEANING OE "SHYSTER."
The Application of this Expressive Term
Depends Upon Character.

Depends Upon Character.
1t has been judicially decided that it
is libelous to speak of a lawyer as a
''shyster," and yet it has never been
legally determined exactly what a
"'shyster' is In the slang Of popular
contempt the word has usually been
applied to tricky, unfair and unscru-
pulous lawyer; fellow of stratagem
and deceit, who CANDLES with lies and
perjuries for a fee; q creature void of
conscience, who, for money, glorities
the guilty side, and, in the language of
scripture, ''TaEeth reward against the
Innocent" an INSCRIPTIONS hireling
casting firebrands, arrows, and death"
at anything or anybody to gain a case,
without the excuse of madness for doing
it. A lawyer-like effort is now being
made in Chicago to give the word 'shys-
ter a limited and special meaning, and
to apply it only to those irregular plead
ers who practice in the courts of JUS
tees of the peace without having been
admitted to the bar. The illegal meth
DDS adopted by the justices in some of
those courts having been exposed by a
lawyer in lecture, professional and
public discussion was aroused, and the
whole wicl1edness conveniently fastened
upon those self-appointed advocates
who have never been admitted to the
bar; or, in the classic language of one
Of the justices, 1.-THE men of the 'shyster'
class, the men who defend prisoners in
my court without having a license to
practice law" This was turning the
whole subject to the left oblique, for
the point in issue was the shystering of
the courts and not the character of the
unlicensed bar.
Whether or not barrister is 'shys-
ter" depends entirely upon his own
character and not at all upon his IL
cense. There is an aged superstition
still believed in, that admission to the
bar is a sort of sacrament, like baptism,
comforting grace and wisdom by force
Of a diploma, an error that has done
much wrong besides making fools of
men. Some of the most accomplished
shysters that | have ever known have
been lawyers of high standing at the
bar, and such lawyers abound in his
tory. Lord Coke was a lawyer of some
practice at the bar he was ''shyster, -
especially in the office of attorney gen
eral, where in the prosecution of per-
sons charged with crime he was un-
scrupulous and unfair, ready, and some
times eager, to take reward against the
innocent. Lord Bacon, I believe, had
his diploma and was considered a law
yer in his day, but as counsel for the
crown in the trial of Lord Essex, he
proved himself a ''shyster." putting
false meaning upon facts, perver ting
the testimony, reviling the prisoner,
and twisting the truth out of sym
metry to secure conviction. To the
credit of Coke, be it said, he was nc
shyster on the bench, but just and
fearless judge, while Bacon was shys-
ter even in the great office of lord high
chancellor And in this day, and in our
country, we have some licensed shys-
tiers eminent at the bar, and there are
some of them on the bench, which is a
much more serious matter. Diplomas
| confer neither knowledge nor wisdom
although they do create castles, which
by the way, was the original design Oh
a license to practice law. To require a
man to obtain license to earn living
at anything is a usurpation by govern.
ment of power to divide the people
into classes and put fines and penalties
uponindustry. / cannot think of any
justification for it except in the case CT
doctors and drug sellers, and [ am not
sure that it is justifable even there
Open Court.