News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1897-06-30
Treatment of Clients.

Treatment of Clients.
But how is an attorney to decide as to
what are the principles by which he should
conduct himself in regard to his clientsf
On one extreme Lord Brougham will ap
pear, saying: "The innocence or guilt OF
your client is nothing to you. You are to
save your client regardless of the torment,
the suffering the destruction of all Others
You are to know but one man in the world
your client. You are to save him though
you should bring your country into confu
sion. At all hazards you must save your
client" So says Lord Brougham. But
no right minded lawyer could adopt that
sentiment On the other extreme Cicero
will come to you and say, "You must new
er plead the cause of a bad man." forget
full of the fact that the greatest villain on
earth ought to have a fair trial and that
an attorney cannot be judge and advocate
at the same time. 1t was grand when
Lord Erskine sacrificed his attorney gen.
eralship for the sake of defending Thomas
Paine i'll his publication of his book called
"The Rights of Man, while at the same
time he, the advocate, abhorred Thomas
Paine's irreligiOus sentiments. Between
these two opposite theories of what is
right, what shall the attorney do? God
alone can direct him. TO that chancery
he must be appellant, and he will get an
answer in an hour. Blessed is that attor
ney between whose Office and the throne OF
God thCre is perpetual, reverential and
prayerful communication. That attorney
will never make an irreparable mistake.
True to the habits of your profession, you
say, "Cite us some authority On the sub
ject. Well, quote to you the decisi
of the supreme court of heaven, eff any
lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who
giveth to all men literally and upbraid-
eth not, and it shall be given him.
What scene is the Office of a busy at
torneyl In addition to the men who come
to you from right motives, bad men will
come to you. They will offer you large
fee for counsel in the wrong direction.
They want to know from You how they
can escape from solemn marital obliga.
ton. They come to you wanting to know
how they can fail advantageously for
themselves, They come to you wanting
to know how they can make the insurance
company pay for destroyed house which
they burned down with their own hands,
or they come to you on the simple errand
of wanting to escape payment of their
honest debts.
Now, it is no easy thing to advise settle.
ment, when by urging litigation you could
strike mine of remuneration. 1t is not
a very easy thing TO dampen the ardor OF
an inAamed contestant when you know
through prolonged lawsuit you could gel
from him whatever you asked. 1t is nc
easy thing to attempt to discourage the
suit for the breaking Of will in the sur
rogate's court because you know the tesla
| tor was of sound mind and body when be
signed the document 1t requires no small
| heroism to do us | once heard an attorney
do in an Office in a western city. | over
heard the conversation when he said
John, you can go on with this lawsuit
and will see you through as we'll as
can, but l want TO tell you before yoT
start that a lawsuit is equal to u fire.
Under the tremendous temptations thai
come upon the legal profession there ar
scores Of men who have gone down, an(
some of them from being the pride of tn,
highest tribunal Of tho state have become
disgrace to the Tombs courtroom. Every
attorney, in addition to the innate sens
of right wants the sustaining power o
the old fashioned religion of Jesus Christ
Bring Zenas the lawyer"
skepticism.
There are two or three forms of tempta
ton TO which the legal profession is es
pecially subject The first of all is skepti
cism Controversy is the lifetime bushes
of that occupation. Controversy may b
incidental or occidental with us, but witt
you it is per 5tual You get SO used t
pushing the IHrp question "Why" ant
making una ded reason superior to tn
emotions, TN the religion of Jesus Christ
which is a simple matter of faith and abov