The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-10
DIR. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
BY THE REV. FRANK DE WITT TALmAeE. D. 9.

fE WI iAEMAGEe Rs Gs
 more deceptive than a column of fig ures." There is another old saying, Nothing Is more unjust than law" Any lawyer who prostitutes his brain and energy to plead a dishonest civil suit against client becomes a party to the corrupt purpose. The lawyer himself by that advocacy becomes a dishonest man. Abraham Lincoln won the appellation Honest Abe" How? He would never allow himself to get mixed up in a dis honest suit. Many years ago a man went to his office in Springfield and wanted him to be his attorney for a certain case. After MT. Lincoln had studied all the facts he turned to this man and said:
 My friend, by a technicality of the law you can win that case, but l will not argue 1t for you. You are dishonest in your attempts to win that money If I stood before a jury to plead for you, ev- cry word I uttered would seem to echo in my mind this sentence: Abe, you are pleading for an untruth; Abe, you are dishonest mani " John J. Crittenden, the great senator, had marvellous power with a jury. Every Kentuckian knew that Senator Crttenden would not under any condition consciously argue for a dishen- est cause. Many a college lad has con- traeted a habit which has contaminated his whole future by standing up in a lit- erary society to champion a wrong theme. Therefore, my legal friend, never under any condition become a party to a fraud by advocating in a civil suit the dishonest cause of a corrupt client.
 The honest lawyer never uses false means to plead for a justifable cause. He never produces false witnesses to an alibi. no matter how much he may believe in the innocence of the defendant He never believes 1t honest to be dishonest or to tell a falsehood, no matter how good the cause may be for which that falsehood has been told.
 The Lawyers Many Temptations.
 But, though this may be all true, the temptations before honest criminal law yers are very great. Believing In the in- noeence of their clients, they know as no other class of men how many innocent victims have been sent to the penitentiary or the gallows through an unbreakable chain of false circumstantial evidence In one of our large cities of the east man was aroused one night by noise. With lighted candle and cooked revolver, he descended the stairs and was shot dead. An ex-convict was arrested and charged with the crime. His lawyer believed him to be innocent. He did all in his power to save him. He was hanged. Some years after the execution dying convict confessed to that crime and thus proved that an innocent man had his life choked out by false eircnmstantial evidence. In the same way few years ago a woman In the far west was murdered. An inno- cent man, proved so by later develop ments, was found to have suffered for that crime. I once said to the warden of Sing Sing penitentiary, "Warden, do you believe that there are any innocent men in this prison who have been sent here unjustly by circumstantial evidence? Lots of them," he answered. 'I believe there are lots of them" Now" says the honest lawyer, T believe my client Is in- nocent, and yet this false chain of cir cumstantial evidence will convict him un- less I break 1t. Is it not right to fight fraud by fraud? Am not justified in us- ing any means to deliver this innocent manY' In such crisis the temptation is overwhelming to present any evidence available, even though it Is known to be false He argues himself into this posi- tion because he believes he Is justified In doing a wrong to win a right.
 But, my legal friend. two wrongs never make 8 right. No lawyer in any capacity is called upon to lie A falsehood is falsehood, no matter how 1t Is told. If yOu DcltNe III JuSlCe, your own nd0QS must be clean when they touch hers, nor must you contaminate your own lips when you would woo her to protect the life of your client. If a lawyer Is willing to lie for good cause, the time will not be very far distant when he will be willing to tell a falsehood to win a bad cause.
 The righteous lawyer tries to keep his client out of litigation if possible. That means he does for his client exactly what the honest doctor would do for his pa tient The family physician, coming to the bedside of an invalid, does not say, How long can I keep this man sick so can make as much money out of him as possibleY' He says: How soon can I make this man well? The sooner the bet ter Better for me; better for the pa- tent" Neither does the honest lawyer try to force his client into litigation He knows that often the best way to settle legal difficulty is outside the court, in- stead of inside.
 Some Illustrations.
 Practical illustration: A man comes to his lawyer and says: q have been un- justly treated, and I want $5, ,000 damages. want you to bring suit right away" What does that honest lawyer do? He looks all over the details of the case.
 
 his client: My friend, you have suffi- cient grounds for damages; but, as your lawyer l am going to advise you as I would my own son Do not get mixed up in this case unless you must. The law yers' fees may in the end cost more than you would make. Then there is no telling what jury may do You might lose ev- erythlng. would compromise. I would take what I could get and let the rest go. It will be cheaper in the end. That Is my advice" This Is the same kind of advice which John K. Porter, for many years the leader of the New York bar, once gave to my father. My father de- termined on one occasion to appeal to the courts for vindication. He had conclusive evidence to support his case. He took this evidence to Mir. Porter's office and read 1t to him. After reading 1t, John K. Por- ter, as conscientious lawyer, turned and said: "Dr. Talmage upon that evidence I can win the suit for you, but am going