The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-07-04
SENATOR VEST ON THE DOG.
When All Other Friends Desert
lie Rcmain@ True to His
Master

One of the most eloquent tributes
ever paid In the dog was delivered by
SENATOR Vest, of Missouri, some years
AGO. lie was attending court III II
country town, and while waiting for
the trlal of a case IN which he was in
tcrrHtcd he was urged by the attor,
ncy* in dog case 20 help them. lie
was paid Il fee OF $3.50 by the plaintiff.
N"lumin"us evidence was Introduced
tr show >hat the defendant had shot
! the dog III malice, while ether evidence
went TO show that the dog had attacked
the defendant. Vest took no part in
The ,ral and was not disposed to speak.
The attorneys, however, urged him to
make a SPEECH, else their client would
net think be had earned hls fee.
Being thus ur.- 'd he arose, scanned
The face of each .iuryman fora moment,
and said:
Gentlemen of the Jury: The best
friend i mar has in the world may turn
against him anh become his enemy,
lis son or daughter that he has reared
with towing care may prove ungratcful.
| Those who are nearest and dearest to
| 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. 1t
flies away from him, perhaps when he
Hccds it most. ~ mans reputation
may be sacrificed in moment of i'll
considered action. The people who
are prone to fall on their knees to do
us honor when success is with us may
be the first to throw the stone Of
lalIcc when failure settles its cloud
upon onl heads. The one absolutely
lnscllisl friend that man can have in
ihiS selfish world, the one that never
deserts him, the one that never proves
ln%ratcful or trcachcrous, is his dog.
MANS dog stands by him in pros
p"iity and in poverty, in health and in
sickness. He will sleep on the cold
gr"und, where tho Wintry winds blow,
and the snow dives Gcrceiy, if only
he may be near his master g side, He
| Will kiss the hand that has no food to
offer; he will lick the wounds and
sores that come in encounter with the
rou"hncss Of the world. Hc guards
the sleep OF his paupcr master as If he
were II prince. When all other friends
desert nc remains. When riches take
wings and reputation falls to pieces he
Is as constant in his love as the sun in
lis journeys through the heavens.
" II fortune drives the master forth
an outcast III the world, rrlcndlcss 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 it's en-
brace, and his body is laid away in
the cold ground, no matter if all other
friends pursue their way, there by the
SraVesidc Will the noble dog be found
his head between his paws, his eyee
sad, but open in alert watchfulness
faithful and truc even in death.n
I Then Vest sat down. He had spoken
In low voice, without Il gesture. He
made no reference to the evidence O,
the merits Of the case. When h,
= finished Judge and jury were wipins
their eyes. The jury filed out, bu
I soon entered with verdict in favor @
The plaintiff for $500 lie had sue,
tor 5000. 1t is even said that some O
The jurors wanted to hang the defen
h dant.