The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-02-24
NOVEL VIEWS OF LAWYERS
Leoal Profession as Sketchcd by
Writers of Fiction.
MATTERS OF FACT APPEAL THE FANCY
General Dislike Felt and Expressed FOR
Brethren of the Bar - Dickens
Typical Lawyer.

not harmonic is to he expected. Ihe pecu-
liarties OF mird that distinguish the two
classes are radically different says the st.
Louis Globe. Democrat. The novelist Is all
imagtna ton; the lawyer all fact; the for
mer lives in realm of day dreams, the
latter IN n domain bounded by the limits
of law library. The time was when the
practice of law, particularly In pleading be-
fore court or jury, lett some room for
the Imagination, but the tendency AZ pres
ent Is toward restricting legal pleading TO
a citation of as many preceden,s as pos
sible IN favor Of the position taken up by
the rleader applying thom as closely as
the nature Ct the case win permit. and
leaving the court to decide which party
has been the most iuiicious IN its selec-
tion of opinions. In single case lawyer
has been known to cite opinions delivered
by twenty or thirty different courts. and
50 general mas this method of appealing
become that he Is adjudged the best law
yer who most skilltully can select and
most iudlciously can present the opinions
he has found bearing on his side of the
case at issue. To the man of imagination
ell this IS NORWOOD ana gall Accustomed
to allow his fancy to roam at will, he can
not easily conceive how the human mind
can be so closely bound down &c prece-
dent Hence he regards the lawyer as of
an entirely different quality of humln he
ing from himself actuutcd by different
motives. thinking different thoughts aud
moving IN n mental sphere so much at
Variance from his own as to be practically
of "A different world.
AS MATERlAL.
Finding a character so essentially at
variance in almost every particular, from
his own 1t is not in the least remarkable
that the novelist should regard the iegu
fraternity as fit subjects for his use. The
business of the iiction writer Is to depict
the world either as II Is or as he thinks
1t OF ght to be and the more diversity he
can Introduce into his writings, the n, tier
win he their chance Of pleasing that por-
ton of the public whose favor ne seeks In
every civilized society the LAWYER is omni-
present; he is found in greatest abundance
in the most deusely settled communities
for there are the most frequent oDnortilnt-
ties for the. exercise of his talents blt nr
community is without him. no hamlet is
so small as not to have. somewhere In ITS
limits, the familiar "shingle" bearing the
legend, attorney at Law" which an
nounces to the world that within the Of
flee thus designated "a man of law Is to be
found who, for a consideration. win un-
dertake to adjust the differences and har-
monte the disputes of his fellow men 'rhe
chickering's of men tend 10 bring ont necull-
arities an deccentricitics of character and
these instantly attract the attention oil
the novelist, for his business lies not so
much with the ordinary affairs OF hum
drum. every day existence as with these
emergencies which call forth the latent
forces of human nature and are attractive
in the telling. from the fact that they often
show the most commonplace man TO pos
that distinguish him from the common
tAwvn,ps ,~n, ,.,,y,r,,e o'''''''''
IN 80 ~ ,-f>N FMS"
III auultlon TO these circumstances, the
legal profession Is so extended that If,
embraces all varieties of ch,r.ctar -
fact which wo,,ld If i,so,r cnr,t,oi a.
ia Tho ntfcrtinn Of "a. No., 80, =.
were there no other attraction Wbila
compromising in It's membership some of
embraces some If ,b. oi MN y aIso
cont cmptnble In lie bt,,ber hr.,, LIZ.
there is no profession more elovatinr and
! cnnobing than the law, in its Lowest
none Is more likely 10 bring him WIN
follows i into disrepute among his fell
lows. There are thus afforded in Tho
legal brotherhood the sharpest contrasts.
! and in these the novelist delights, for
they afford him an opportunity for the
| to enhance the artistic value Of his story.
| In this respect the use of the LAWYER as
u character in fiction has advantages
Hot TO De found to similar extent among
| Inc members OF any other profession
| ne doctor has merits. of course for
the doctor holds the family secrets in his
possession and can be made to come for
| ward at the proper time and testify to
| the existence OF a will which he signed as
! a witness, being conveniently present at
| NV, aeatn OF ine teStator, the parson is
Of mo fsr,n,, tor ne knows most
| ul me lainlly history that the doctor does
| nol Know, nut neither the parson nor the
| upt,2r can. 10 use a popular phrase,
vn n"iit az 'Tn"Io TO- the lawyer as con-
| oni IihhomIo , ~ h1lpins 70 unraVel tan
EW' piol, l9r' u the digniiied lawyer can
s nv no ,laue 10 serve the. purpose. the
| S"Ss'er luMEer VII 30 inc business since
| I,.,,. NJ Ilt On ms lrade 10 perform any
| hatns ~" ~ n tiltt nccuS 70 ne done, without
| t ',raE u"o pay lltular' either about its ma
|ri t -, we s.aIe Oh ms hands.
| ShNMAN AND FRENCH LAWYERS
The novelists of the German ana
Fronch nations boyo no, n anu
| VI, "aNe Ho' made very
m"c ~, use vi thc lawyer as character
", ~, ,nelr stories, nut Tor this fact there
~ ",i oScclleht reason. In both countries
we STUDY oi me law is almost an exact
sv, , anu scrupuious pains are taken
has rot can" cn,,ioH 70 rnc oar any man who
of study and passed axcScdinsi, course S,
examinations. There is no such thing n 3
ADMISSION without Qualification for
neither money nor influence will carry an
| applicant past the examining, boards nm
! less he is proficient In his studies qua
at least passsabIy well qualified. Years
OF study ana preparation in the office If
a lawyer are also required and thc ro
suit is while there are fewer Ia,,,..,,,.
| than in Great Britain or Amorica ~ A., :
is reduced to tolcrahIy even , ',v VA AZ
of ability, nor is there so n,,tch , = "
the dsnlav of individn,l o,,.',,.i tH 'otll lor
with us Tho story writors ~ i'll I.''leS a.
tries. therefore, do NOT Gna !, ' ~ eouil-
hers Of tho bnr Thai ds"rno -, ~ mem
ality that renders n cboractor V' iinI,lNldu-
| "a Ii,,ro,.,. -. '..''i"Ni, hSfINi from