Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-05-07

pellation Honest Abe" How? lie
would never allow himself to get mix
ed up in dishonest suit. Many years
ago man went to his office in Spring
field and wanted him TO be his attorney
for certain case. After Mr.. Lincoln
had studied all the facts he turned to
this man and said "My friend, by II
technicality of the law you can win
that case, but I will not argue 1t for
you. You are dishonest in your at
tcmpts to win that money. If l stood
before a jury to plead for you, every
word | uttered would seem to echo in
my mind this sentence: ABE. you are
plea ding for an untruth; Abe. you are
n dishonest man." John j. Crittcndeu,
the great senator had marvellous pow
or with jury. Every Kentuckian
knew that Senator Crittcnden would
not under any condition consciously
argue for a dishonest cause. Many Il
college lad has contracted habit
which has contaminated his whole flu
turc by standing up in literary soci-
ETY. to champion a wrong theme. There
fore, my legal friend, never under any
condition become party to fraud by
advocating in civil suit the dishonest
cause of corrupt client.
The honest lawyer never uses false
means to plead for a justiiablc cause.
He never produces false witnesses to
an alibi. no matter how much he may
believe in the innocence of the defend
ant. He never believes it honest to he
dishonest or to toll falschood. no mat
ter 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
lawyers are very great. Believing in
the innocence 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 a man was
aroused one night by q noise. With
lighted candle and cooked revolver. he
descended the stairs and was shot
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 eXccu-
ton a dying convict confessed to that
crime and thus proved that an limo
cent man had his life choked out by
false circumstantial evidence. In the
fn
in the far west was murdered. An in
nocent man, proved SO by later dcvel-
opments, was found TO have suffered
for that crime. l once said to the
warden Of Sing Sing penitentiary,
warden, do you believe there are any
innocent men in this prison who have
been sent here unjustly by circumstan-
tial eyidenceT Lots of them" he an.
swered. Il believe there are lots of
them" "Now." says the honest law
yer, 81 believe my client is innocent,
and yet this false chain of circumstan-
tial evidence will convict him unless |
break it. Is it not right to fight fraud
by fraud? Am I not justified in using
any means to deliver this innocent
is overwhelming to present any EVIL
dence available even though 1t is
known TO be false. He argues himself
into this position because he believes
he is justified in doing a wrong to win
right
But, my legal friend two wrongs
never make right. No lawyer in any
capacity is called upon 10 lie. \ false
hood is falsehood. no matter how it
is told. If you believe in Justice your
own hands must he clean when they
touch hers. nor must you contamlnate
your own lips when you would WOO her
to protect the life of your client. If a
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 eN
actly what the honest doctor would 10
for his patient. The family physician,
coming to the bedside of an invalid,
does not say, "How long can | keep
this man sick, so | can make as much
money out of him as possiblc:' He
says: "IIow soon can | make this man
well? The sooner the better, Better
for me- better for the patient" Nci-
ther does the honest lawyer try to force
his client into litigation. He knows
that often the best way TO settle a
legal difficulty is outside the court, in
stead of inside.
Some Illustrations.
Practical illustrations A man comes
to his lawyer and says II have been
uniustly treated. and | want $1,000
damages. | want you to bring suit
right away" What does that honest
lawyer do? He looks all over the de
tails of the case. Then, if he is con-
scientious, he says to his client: "My
friend, you have sufficient grounds for
damages; but, az your lawyer, | am
going To advise YOU as | would my own
son. Do not get mixed mp in this case
unless you must. The lawyers fees
may in the end cost more than you
would make. Then there Is no telling
what jury may do You might lose
everything. would compromise. I
would take what I could get and let
the rest 20. 1t will be cheaper in the
end. That il my advice" This is the
same kind of advice which John X.
Porter, for many years the leader Of
the New York bar, once gave to my
fDthpr NV father dpter,pinod IN ono