The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-07-20
WHEN is A MAN 21Y
Think n Momant Eiefore Ton Attempt
20 Answer the Question.

E4kMM ~ HAWMWHH 4tNWk& I0U MhdWMWH
10 Answer fise Question.
1T Ii often said that law IL applied
common sense" said professor Of the
Yale Law school the other day. "While
II IL true tbat law principles originated
In common sense, the law itself " tho
combined experience OF many men, for
no two men uninstructed In law win
agree as to what y applied common
sense.
Then there arc many rules Of law
which undoubtedly have n common
sense origin, but, conditions having
changed, history falls to disclose this
origin. Yet these very rules must be
retained IN order not 10 shake personal
and property rights. Therefore no man
can depend on his own uninstructed
common sense TO know the law.
ITO drive this statement home have
frequently put 10 an incoming law
cIass the question, when does an IN.
fant become Of ageT The answer Is
always unanimous, When he " twen-
ty-one years old
'The next question appears rldicu-
ious 10 sofna and makes them laugh.
while others set their alleged common
sense at work and never with correct
result, When IL a man twenty-one
years 0ldT
"One student says, On his twenty
first birthday but OF course he does
not mean II, for he is about year out
OF the way. Another ventures. '0n the
twenty.Grst anniversary Of his birth
day. This sounds better. but even IL
correct III not specific enough When
he has completed his twenty. first anni-
yersary.' AT the beginning Of that day
and ON his twenty.flrst anniversary.
at the precise hour OF his BIRTH are
other answers.
"And then surprise the guesscrs by
saying that they are all wrong.
I'm computing time It Is general
rule that the law dIsregards part OF q
day. In applying this rule. suppose n
man was born just one minute before
midnight on Jan. 2. 1880.
AT midnight he had lived but one
minute. yet the day on which he was
born was ended and the law c0nsid-
cred him one day old. so In computing
the twenty.one years which a man
must live In order to reach his majori-
ty we DO not begin with the moment OF
birth, but with the commencement OF
the day Of his birth.
Nov, since we must start with the
first moment OF Jan. 2. 1880. IL is per-
haps natural to say that this man did
not become twenty-one years old until
tho close OF Jan. /. 1901. Mathematic-
ally speaking. this Is true.
'Twenty-one years in that sense re-
quires that the last moment OF Jan. !.
1901. should have arrived In order to
make the man Of age. and obviously
he was Of age at that point Of time.
But here again the rule Is applied.
"As the man was Of age on the last
moment OF Jan. 1. the law disregards
the entire part OF the day intervening
between the first moment and the last,
and consequently he became In law
twenty-one years old on the first mo-
ment OF Jan. /, 1901. the day preceding
tho twcnty-flrst anniversary Of his
birthday.
This rule Ia a part Of what is known
as the common law and is applied In
this country In all states where the
common law OF England has been
adopted and remains unchanged by
statute. a man may vote or make a
valid win on the day preceding the
twenty-hrst anniversary Of bis birth.
day, although the right in the one case
and the capacity in the other are given
only to persons who have reached the
age Of twenty-one years. New York
Sun.