The Washington times., 1905-12-29
JUSTICE STAFFORD
DELIVERS ADDRESS
(. Local Man Honored by West
Virginia Attorneys.
ADDRESSED BAR ASSOCIATION
District Supreme Court Judge, in An
nual Address, Speaks on
"The Lawyer"

FAIRMONT. W. Va. Dec. 2s.-Jus-
tice Stafford. of the District Supreme
Court. at Washington. d. c.. delivered
the annual address before the State Bar
Association of West Virginia last night,
at the meeting held here. His. subject
was THE Lawyer"
Justice Stafford said In part:
There are lawyers by nature just
as there are poets by nature. They are
endowed with two great gifts; one is in
tellectual the other moral One is the
power to perceive the true relations of
things. and the other is the disposition
to see justice done This ability to
see the true relations in which things
stand to each other-what is 1t but COM
mon sense magniied? And who will not
admit that common sense is always
gift of nature? If you know OF any
college that can confer an honest de-
gree in common sense. let me know-l
want TO send my boy there 1t can
be done. If he was born with IL the
school Will give IL breadth and power
If he was born without it the school
will only make the deficiency conspic-
uous.
THE Spaniards have a proverb. "A
! fool is never a great fool until he knows
Latin We have all seen lawyers VINO
would have been stronger if tisSy had
relied more on their reason and less on
their reading Even on the bench l
have known men who would nave oeen
better judges If they had been poorer
LAWYERS When all is said ii is mother
wit that runs the world
Common Sense Made Law.
How often we have occasion TO re-
n RaCnY-
Books teach not their own use, but
that is a wisdom without them and
above them won by observation II
was common sense that made the law.
and II is common sense that must ap-
ply it.
I'm the war between our States q
Massachusetts regiment was TO be trans
ported by train. The locomotive had
broken down. is there any man here
that knows how to mend this engineg
asked the colonel. a private step@Peo @
chine. saying, L ought to; MADE her-
That Is what happens when tne rea!
lawyer puts his hand to the law some y;
the best lawyers were never admltteo
TO the bar More than once have oeeI
consulted by some country MAGISTRATE
some back-woods justice OF the peace
constable or plain farmer, VINO ia
shown such a clear perception OF prln-
ciples such q firm grasp OF the stSul t,
ton that / have felt like saying, " ny
do YOU come to me Tor couilseI! II 10
that should learn of you
Law is not something technical
something that smells of the lamp ano
belongs 10 the closet. Law is nothing
stable, nothing desirable, unless II Is
the sifted and garnereo common senSs =
of the race. You need never tremoit
for that kind Of law & II is tuo cnd1 tna'
that can be understood and appreciated
only by "A Grass or a profession may
fail but law that makes It's appeal
10 the good sense and honest insIihcts
of men at large can never fail. For q
sound legal judgment Is moral as wei
as mental 1t is not enough 10 see
sees how they ought to be. His love
OF justice is as strong as his perception
OF truth is keen II has been SAID
Love is our highest word and the syno,
nym of God But, If that be so. ther
the next highest word is justice. 1ol
justice all place a temple ana all sea
son summeri' What other excuse car
government give for Its existence thar
this-'to establish justlceE
Qualities of a Judge.
so it is that a good lawyer mus
have the qualities that go to the max
ing of a good Judge. He cannot con
duct his case wisely nor advise his eli
ent safely unless he can foresee witt
reasonable accuracy how the court VII
be obliged TO treat IL when IL comes
before It. The best counsel is he VIII
best anticipates the courts decision
You cannot make a good Judge out o
intellect alone. lie must have heai
that can be touched with the feeling o
our infirmities. His blood must be red
Let him be pure and righteous as n
may, but through his heart must thro
the quick. warm currents of humanity
And. above all, s.9 iiIuSt ioVv justice
he must long TO see the right prevail
So must the lawyer-the lawyer.
mean. He must be great enough to ex
ult in his own defeat when he nnds tina
ne ought 70 be defeated. Lawyers d
not like to be beaten; judges do no
like to be reversed. But a Judge VIII
will not rejoice to see his own wroD
Judgments set aside-he may be grea
In learning and high in place, but IN
least in the kingdom Of justice
greater than he