The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-07-03
SENATOR VEST ON THE DOG
When All Other Friends Desert
He Remains True to His
Master

One OF The most eloquent tribute.
! ever paid 10 the dog was delivered b,
Senator Vest, OF Missouri, some wears
ago. lie was attending court IN I;
country town, and while waiting fo,
the traI OF case IN which he was i'm.
trrestcd he was urged by the attor
ncys in dog case to help them. lie
was paid fee of $3.50 by the plaintiff.
Nouminous evidence was inirodurcd
10 show that the defendant had shot
the dog III malice, while other evidence
went to show that the dog had attacked
the defendant. Vest took no part in
thc trial and was not disposed TO speak.
The attorneys, however, urged him TO
make speech, else their client would
not think he had earned nus fee
Being thus urge he arose, scanned
the face of each juryman for a moment,
and said:
Gentlemen of the Jury: The best
Trend Il man has in the world NAV turn
against him and become his enemy
His son or daughter that he has reared
with loving care may prove ungra,ciul.
lhosc who are nearest and dearest tu
US, those whom we trust with our
happiness and our good name, may be-
come traitors to their faith. The
money that man has he may lose. |,
ll'es away from him, perhaps when he
needs it most. \ mans reputation
m?y he sacrificed in II moment of i'll
considered action. The people who
arc prone lo fall on their knees TO do
us hpnor when success is with us may
be the lirst TO throw the stone of
.lalicc when failure settles its cloud
upon our heads. The one absolutely
unsclISh friend that man can have in
this selfish world, the one that never
deserts hlm, the one that never proves
ungr"tciuI or treacherous, is his dop.
~ mans dog stands by him i'm pros
rcIity and III poverty, III health and in
sickness. He will sleep on the cold
groun.., where the Wintry winds blow
and the snow drives lclccly, if only
he may be near his masters side. He
VIII kiss the hand that has no food TO
offer; Ac will lick the wounds ard
sores that come in encounter with the
roughncss of the world. He ouards
The sleep OF his pauper master as If he
were prince. When ali other friends
desert he remains. When riches take
wings and reputation falls TO pieces he
Is as constant in his love rs the sun in
its journeys through the heavens.
IF fortune drives the master forth
an oulcast in the world, lmcndlcss and
homeless, the faithful dog asks no
higher privilege than that of accom-
panying him, to guard him against
danger, to fight against his enemies.
And when the last scene of all comes
and death takes the master in its en-
brace, and his body is laid away in
the cold ground, no matter if all other
friends pursue their way, there by the
gravesidc Will the noble dog be found,
his head between his paws, his eyes
sad, but open i'll alert watchfulncss,
faithful and true even in death.n
Then Vest sat down. He had spoken
III low voice, without gesture. He
made no reference to the evidence or
the merits of the case. When he
finished judge and jury were wiping
their eyes. The jury filed out, but
soon entered with a verdict in favor of
the plaintiff for $500 He had sued
tor 5000. 1T is even said that some of
the jurors wanted to hang the defcn-
dant.