The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1894-10-25
LAW AND LAWYERS.
A PROFCSelON IN WHICH MANY ARS
CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN.

DttlCulttffs W nlfn NbnfTuUA
risters-How Literature and Politics Az
feet the Lawyers Prospects-He Need
rat Necessarily BE Rascal.
Mr.. Richard Devereux Doyle, a prom
inent member of the Norfolk bar,
contributes to The Southern Maga-
zine an article entitled my impress
sions of Law and Lawyers, " which will
prove very interesting to laymen as
well as to members of the legal pro-
fession. Mr.. Doyle discusses his theme
instructively, entertainingly and with
judicial impartiality and candUr. He
refers to the Confessions of Junior
Barrister, by the brilliant Richard
Laior Shiol, as en,bodying the early OK.
porionces OF many hopeful and talented
young lawyers
"How many" says Mr.. Doyle, have
passed through a similar course of study
and preparation, perhaps graduating
in the humanities as well as the Law,
bearing away the prize for eloCutios
and oratory at SONG Of our great inss'
tutions of learningl How. many have
thought that such talents as theirs were
sure to command early if not immodi-
ate success, and, alasl how many have
been disappointed" differing. it may
be added, in this respect from Shicl,
who passed safely through the dcprcss.
ing period of waiting and probation
which tries tho soul Of the ordinary
legal neophyte, and who won tho dis
tinction of which he had dreamed o.
the outset of mis- career.
Many of this grand army Of the dis.
appointed fail, Mr.. Doyle thinks, not
because they are lacking in genuine
talent which is frequently OF a high
order" but because there are so many
Other elements that should but do not
enter into tie calculation" of the youth.
full aspirant Youth, for one thing, els
/ too sanguiEe and expects too much
Some tail because Of their bad personal
habits; soru " infirm health and too
/ hard study and confinement are stricken
| down, like lOor Kirk White, when life
is in its spriug;' some arc not polite
/ enough 10 WOO the world, but hold
proudly GloCf. trusting TO tLeir talents
and knowledge, while the busy world
goes bustlirg by without stopping to
/ look at their credentials. " Some stray
/ into the pleasant and flowery paths Of
| literature and some into the seductive
field of politics.
"a literary reputation, Mr.. Doyle
declares, lis perhaps moro dangerous
than a political one, especially II one is
given, like llr. Ncre, to dropping into
| poetry. The age is too practical for u
successful combination of law aud liter
aturo. \ lawyer may and should tie
cultivated, but he must not I've known
rs httcIateur or poet" Cor will il
DO for TIE young lawyer TO seek to make
himself known ~ going into politics.
To do so lis IA risky venture for ono
who intends 10 mako law the profession
of a lifetime, and even u Tcputatiou for
political ora,Uy Is Of lit,le If any bonc-
Gt to q lawyer. The public soon come
TO regard him as a politician and may
be willing to vote with him or for him,
bat not TO give him business.
TUu ing from the causes Of failure to
tho qualities important TO what Is ordi-
narily deemed success Mr.. Doyle su'H-
mari2cs them as follows: Love Of the
profession and evident desire 90 get
/ business and attention TO il when in
hand; industry and the appearance OF
industry and good native slufC, with an
aggressive and partisan t,mToraL.eut.
FluCncy of speech, eluqucnce Of dittion
and genuine oratorical talent are use
iul, but not essential. This partisan
and aggressive spirit, which is ann 10
what Lord Bacon calls "bolHnCss " Mr
Doyle considers particularly impor-
tant clement Of success. Men hire
lawyers, as the expression is among the
people, to attend to their bus.ucsS and
TO fight their battles, ri~ht or wrong,
and the lawyer who goes INTO case
thoroughly imbucd with the clients
feelings, believing or making believe
that he is certainly right and the other
party an unnIitigated rascal, is sure 10
please ~
As to the ethical side Of the law, Nh
Doyle admits that much may be said
pro and con. One Cf tho demuralizmg
features of the profession is that "a
lawyer cannot choose his cases. " He
is sometimes ON the wrong -'1e, the
side Of falsehood and iuju t.no and
when on the wrong side "thOr. 's al.
most irresistible temptation to express
belief in the justice Of his cause and
lawyers too often yield 10 it, thus Civ
ing some ground for the popular Gcou.
sation that lawyers lie for their clients. "
After all, whether 1.-THE law is noble
and eloyating profession" depends
upon the man. " There is nothing in the
nature of his profession which compcls a
lawyer to be rascal. 1t has its temp
tations, but SO has every other business.
Many hard things have been said of
lawyers, but the account is nearly bal
ancod by the complimentary things that
they have said of themselves and OF
their profession. Sir Edward Coke
speaks of 1.-The glidsome light of juris
prudence, " and lack of self applecia.
tion is not III general one of the defect
of the disciples of the law They have
however, the consolation Of knowing
that in spite of all the abuse to which
they have been subjected by satirica