The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-24
THE BENCH AND BAR.
MIR. F. M. divers Plea For the Law
yers and Pure Judfciarv.

Mr. Francis NJ divers response to
The Bench and Bar" was both
humorous, grave and eloquent.
Among the people whose honor and
glory we are met to celebrate. and from
whom our system of Jurisprudence is
derived" he said, "the intimate relation
between dining and the study of the
law was long ago recognized. This re-
lation was firmly established by the
law schools and Office buildings of the
old English advocates-the Inns of
court. That the prescribed number of
dinners had been eaten at the inn was
as rigidly demanded of the ambitious
youth seeking admission to the bar. as
that he should be able to interpret, and
give the philosophy of the rule in
Shelly's case. In those days the grave
and learned sages and the reverend
Judges seem never to have impaired
any pupnc instruction to students in
the law except as incident to a feast
When the struggles of a LAWYER were
rewarded with the bestowal upon him
OF the dignity of sergeant, custom de-
manded that he should give a feast
a coronation feast, if you please-h1t
out or the resources of his own purse.
Mr.. divers researches have not en-
aoled MIN to show that the appetites
of lawyers of to-day are less rayenous
or that their fondness for toothsone
dishes is less pronounced than was the
case with their brethren of old En-
tire candor," he said, compelled him
TO say that the appetite of the lawyer
of the present day appears to be in
creaslng in proportion to the alarm
ing increase in the number of lawyers.
That the number of lawyers is in
creaslng every year he admitted to be
a matter of comment. At first the
newspapers were inclined to congratu-
late the public upon that fact, the
theory being that as the number of
lawyers increased, the extortionate fees
of lawyers would be decreased. In
this connection, one of them related the
following story:
George Smith of Norwich, Conn.,,
had failed in business and sold out.
and, having two or three tough little
bills, had given them to his lawyer for
collection. Smith went to the office
to receive the proceeds. The amount
collected was about $50.
I'm sorry you have been so I'M
fortunate, Smith, for 1 take a great
interest in you. I won't charge you
as much as l should if 1 didn't feel so
much interested in you, and he hand
ed Smith SIS, and kept the balance.
You see, Smith, continued the law
yer, L knew you when you were a bow.
and l knew your father before you, and
l take a good deal of interest in you.
Good morning; come and see me again
Smith, moving slowly out of the
door, and ruefully contemplating the
avails, was heard to mutter:
Thank God you didn't know my
grandfather.
Defended the Profession.
''The thoughtless, superficial critics
who pretend to an acquaintance with
the springs of human action, do not
ascribe to lawyers that browning vir-
tue of all-charty," said Mr.. Oliver
"They affect to believe that the word
is not to be found in a lawyers lexi-
con. But if they could only look into
a lawyers innermost life, their cheeks
would crimson with shame at the in
justice of the charge. 1t is not true
that charity-the charity which gems
the soul and refines the heart of the
full-bred, genuine mems wanting in
the life of a true lawyer. 1t may be
true that the great charitable endoW-
ments are not the gifts of lawyers
Wealth and lawyer are strangers
Poverty, not wealth, makes lawyers
and inspires their ambition. Charity
lis virtue of the heart, not of the
hand. Gifts and aims are the express
sions, not the assence of the virtue
Charity depends not on the wealth. It
adorns poverty more often than it does
wealth. Mental trouble and mental
restitution must be relieved, as we'll
as physical pain and suffering. He who
relieves the former relieves the greater
agony. Relief and consolation afforded
a trouble mind and detected spirit,
without compensation, involve the ex-
ercise of the highest, purest and no.
blest charity. Give gratuitously Of
your talents and accomplishments in
that cause which looks to the better