Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-19
As TO LAWYERS.

The profession Of law Is an honorable
one whether properly followed or not,
since malconduct is not inculcated by
its prccepts, and therefore reflection
upon tho one who engages therein
rather than upon the occupation Itself
a good lawyer however. may not be n
good man, and an inferior lawyer not
a. bad man. but neither OF these
conditions amounts to rule except
perhaps in out-of-the-way places and
under peculiar circumstances. The man
of law who Is learned, Industrious and
upright should. and we believe general
ly does. stand In the front rank OF so
clety and he an acceptable person any
where. with this class there In never
any crowding or elbowlng their way
along. As the great and perhaps only
Rufus Choate said when beginning his
legal studies and q friend suggested
that there were already enough lawyers
in the country. "There is always plenty
of room at the top" which IL exactly
where Mr.. Choate went and remained.
It is probably the case TO q greater
extent with the legal profession than
any other, that great numbers super
induce lnferiority. In an army large or
small the grenter number by far must
be privates, and there are inferior as
well as superior officers. with a
hundred or more lawyers in n place
which can furnish remunerativc bust
ness for no more than half that num-
I.at. D t.ffIl I,n lat l,at
half does not get it's full proportion or
anything approaching 1t. Half dozen,
or say Il dozen at the most. will get
the lions share and the remainder. the
good and bad alike, must engage to
some extent at least in a scramble for
enough employment to enable them to
make a living. Having a small bust
ness begets indifference. inattention
and corresponding inferiority. for of all
occupations In the world the law is the
most exacting when properly followed.
There is n class of lawyers who have
acquired many of the principles and a
fair insight into the philosophy of the
system. not necessarily for the purpose
OF practlcing It. but rather to promote
their interests by assisting them in
other walks Of life. such as journalism,
the ministry. politics and so on. These
do not often refuse business and even
in many cases let 1t be known that
they are on hand to receive It, But by
not making 1t their sole reliance they
are apt to get along better financially
than the inferior class who do so rely.
Even in court they have no fear. as u
rule, Of the majority OF the regular
practitioners, If indeed of any of them.
Still, 1t is hardly the way to excellence
or fortune, but yet has one thing to
commend 1t. and commend il strongly
1t is better than being human shark
floating around beneath the waves OF
society and waiting for a disabled vic
tim to come along. AS the author of
walkers American Law" has aptly
said in lecture to young lawyers:
Resolve to dig in ditch If necessary
and it will be honorable; but never per-
nit yourself to hang around courts OF
justice waiting for human prey"
As soon as 1t Is discovered that G
boy is apt, has good mentality and q
reasonable fund of language. 1t is ter
chances to one that his parents decide
to make lawyer of him, and he is
always willing. Yet there are other
callings I'm life In which such talents
can find fun play, which are as a rule
more lucrative. quite as honorable and
in the main are surer and safer roads
to emlnence and preferment. In the
face of all the facts, to read of the
hosts of new lawyers that are being
turned into the arena every year and
almost every month, is n little singular
paradoxicaI as the expression may
sound.