Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-30
SAYS LAW is GOOD
IF USED LAWFULLY
REV. FRANK DEWITT TALMAGE
ADVISES ATTORNEYS
In Eloquent Sermon at First Presby-
terian Church, Minister Urges All
Young Men Entering Legal Profess
sion to Follow Path of Honesty

Rev. Frank Dewitt Talmage had
good word for good lawyers yesterday,
but spoke his mind plainly about dis
honest attorneys. The text taken at
the First Presbyterian church last
night was 1 Timothy, 1:S. THE law
is good if a man uses it lawfully"
Mr.. Talmage's subject was "The
Noble Lawyer" He said in part:
Paul had all the mental qualifica-
tions of great lawyer. When he
stood before Felix, and as his own
advocate tore into pieces the charge
made by the prosecuting attorney, Ter
tullus: when he argued before King
Agrippa, until the king admitted he
was almost persuaded; when he plead
ed upon Mars hill with the jury of
Greek scholars until at last even that
central seat of Athenian culture was
shaken to it's very foundation by his
proclamation of the unknown God,
we find the highest development of
forensic training and legal acumen.
But though the legal profession
offers such wonderful opportunities TO
defend the weak and punish the bad,
there are some cynics who profess to
believe that an honest lawyer does not
exist.
"The noble profession of the law
is often unjustly maligned. Let me try
the principles of a Christian lawyer.
He will never champion a cause that
he knows to be dishonest. Why? Be
cause he would be aiding one man 10
deprive another of his rights.
abraham Lincoln won the appella =
ton Honest Abe How? He would
never allow himself to get mixed up IN
a dishonest suit. Many years ago, a
man went to his office in Springfield,
tA1 -, - lit ffn,- nzr
for certain case. After Mr.. 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 I will not argue it for
you. You are dishonest in your at
tempts to win that money. If l stood
before a jury to plead for you, every
word 1 uttered would seem to echo in
my mind this sentence; Abe, you are
pleading for an untruth; Abe, you are
dishonest man.
John j. Crittendon, the great sem
ator, had marvellous power with a
jury.
"The honest lawyer never uses false
means to plead for justifiable cause.
He never produces false witnesses to
prove an alibi, no matter how much
he may believe in the innocence of the
defendant He never believes it honest
no matter how good the cause may
be for which that falsehood has been
told.
II 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 circumstantial evidence"
Lots of them he answered, I believe
there are lots of Them
NLA -icrI,t lou fNiA 10
his client out of litigation, If possible.
That means, he does for his client
exactly what the honest doctor would
do for his patient. The family ply
sician, coming to the bedside of an
invalid, does not say, How long can 1
keep this man sick, so I can make as
much money out of him as possible
He says, How soon can l make this
man we'll? The sooner the better. Better
for me; better for the patient Neither
does the honest lawyer try to force his
client into litigation.
Young men about to enter the legal
profession, I congratulate you. My
congratulations, because you are going
to enter the profession of hosts of lead
ing advocates and judges, whose faith
in God was just as strong as their
belief that law means justice, tempered
with mercy, and justice to the strong
and the weak alike. You may live as
they lived. Do such work as they were
able to accomplish. Die in their faith.
Have the sins of your past life cleanse1
by the blood of Jesus, as theirs were
wiped out. The law is good, if a man
use it lawfully"