Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-07-13
VOICES OF THE PRESS.
An lasoIent Pulpitssr.
(Washington Post !

An Indianapolis clergyman made a Bit
ter attack In a sO-calied sermon last Sun
day on ex-President Harrison for APP
pearing as counsel for street railway
corporation In its legal fight against a
reduction of fares. "Can any one mag
ine," asked the reverend gentleman, "the
president of Il street railroad whose ac-
tual value is $2,O000O0, but whose watered
stock and bonds have a value of $1,000
OO0, approaching George Washington and
Offering him $20.0oO to justify the greed
of the corporation and defend its iniqui-
tOus actions from the common people?''
And this demagogical gush was applaud
ed.
If Gen. Harrison were an aspirant for
any elective Office II might be injudicious
for him to exercise his undoubted legal
and moral right to serve a corpora lion,
for there are many voters who have a
blind. unreasoning, indiscriminatng pre-
jldice against a corporation lawyer. But
as Gen. Harrison has filed the highest
position to which the voting citizens Of
the United States can elect one OF their
number-flled ii with distinguished hon
or to his country, his state, his city and
himself-it ought not to be deemed either
politically or morally injudicious for him
to practice his profession in his own city.
No lawyer OF this or any past general ton
has ever been more carefully and con-
scientiously regardful of legal ethics than
Mr.. Harrison. That a man of his attain
his avocation in his own town--cannot do
what thousands OF Christian gentlemen
have done and are doing in peace and
honor-without being insuted from the
pulpit is a fact that will not be set down
To the credit of indianapolis
We do not know whether the side in
this indianapolis street railway fight on
which Gen. Harrison is retained is the
right side, or the reverse. Ii Is a COM
plicated case. a controversy between Fed
eral and state jurisdictions. Undoubtedly
the popular feeling is against the eorpo-
ration and In favor OF threc-cent fare.
What the final determination of the mat
ter may 5e We Will not undertake TO
guess. But a defeat of the corporation in
the court of last resort will not be a re-
Fiction on the professional character or
personal integrity of its attorneys Just
so long as a lawyer conforms his acts 10
the ethics OF his profession he gives no
valid ground Of offense. In every law
suit there are two sides. one of which Is
bound to be declared wrong. and that de-
cision has to be accepted. The opposing
litigants and their counsel differ as to
the meaning and effect of laws Ii one
side happens 10 be popular and the other
is execratcd by the masses. that fact does
not determine which Is right And IL
when the end Is reached. the finding coin
cidcs with the popular feeling. that fact
is no condemnation of those who have
exercised only their lawful rights in try
ing to secure different result.
Even the murderer who pleads guilty
is not. as a rule. sentenced without a
trial If such a defendant has no coun-
sci. the court assigns one or more law
yers to his defense. 1t is the duty of the
court to see that even a confessed MUIR
derer shall have every advantage that
the law gives him. But we do not hear
in their pulpits denouncng at
torneys for defending malefactors either
by assignment of the courts or under pay
of the defendants.
The Indianapolis parson's aliusion to
George Washington was very infelicitous
The father of his country was not n
lawyer, and there We're few corpora tons
in his time. so that We cannot tell how
he would have treated the tender of d
fee from president of a corporation
We can be pretty certain. however, that
Washington would have despised a min
lister of the gospel for insulting private
citizen either in or out of his pulpit
And this reference to the most revered
character in our history reminds us that
about all the clercymen in the United
states united in successfully urging the
Harrison administration and several sue
ceSSiVe Congresses to put the brau of
infamy on n practice that George sh-
ington and about all the good men X his
time approved. Times change and men
change with them" Perhaps this minis
ter will share in the mutations of coming
years and finally learn that he earned re-
proof. not applause, when he attacked
his distinguished townsman and Christian
brother.