The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-11
BAR COWED
 BEFORE BENCH
~rdrxs on SARCASM Br LAWYERS
 ARE MAINLY INVENTIONS.
x5nsess of the Highest Standing They Are at the Courts SIerey--Joe" Choate Credited With Repartee
 at Expena of of Judiciary.

Chicago Chronicle.
 Stories are often told of the sarcastic shafts of wit which lawyers have shot in the direction of the bench when driven re resentment. exeusable or ofe%rwisa< by rulings which they con. sider unwarranted. but 1t is suspected that the yarns. however good as stories are headr much oftener outside than inside the courtroom. They are invaris ahly coupled with the names of leaders of the bar, as. of course, in any other connection they would sound altogether too iuprdbahle to be even good stories
 While judges not infrequenuy lh- dulge in remarks on reference 10 the attorneys appearing before them that are not to be found in any code on diplomacy, they can do this With nm punity from their impregenable iortress of judicial position.
 when a member of the bar. however, attempts to free his mind regarding an act of a srossest prejudice or even irr,orance on the judges part. the at torney Is at a great disadvantage. Tie stands in the open and is liable 70 receive a shot of judicial wrath as heavy as the projectiles rom tne thirteensinch guns on battle ships' which, in the vocabulary of the navy, appear to be termed railroad tr@ihs'
 Safe Only fer the stars.
 xuoa ha unto the attorney who att xsrarts to shoot back. He only brings haavter guns upon his unprotecteo .,aaftion. For this reason 1t IS ony 1eaaars of the bar-men who's tano only Ss tha community, so high. In facI that sn general estimation they comniana rreater respect than the judges tnem- selves plus their robes or oInceI n l1srsrtiop of the bench. Therefore shs rforfss of the character here referrso +a are coupled with the names or Ihe hrteht liehts of the profession Who ..hasea to be such in the geograpnical Ihration of the teller of the story.
 Thug the name of Joseph H. Choate has been used in connection with ons of the lesser courts Tn New 1olA IVY sr inc story of the lawyer who was rafIsN ia oYder for some deroGatory re- marks addressed to the bench m tns following manner; ,.
 Mr, choate you are chewing your contempt for the court
 whereupon MT. Choste replied
 ..on tae contrary, your honor am krving my best to conceal IL
 A story is told of an attorney m me SvAstern part of Pennsylvania who when the judge apparently took sldes with the defendant (his opponent
 .T should ike to ask, and have # ra4sd on the record for the purpose of having 1t complete. what ather cepn- sel appears for the defendant besides the 1udge?
 Ta the very same counsel aseflDec anather remark of 8 somewhat similar nes,,re. He apAarea for the defendant and tha court in the attorneys opinion af least, seemed to have constantly favored his opponent, and In ohaSkins the jury the judge had all put tolo them to bring in verdict for the pIaln tiff. The jury, however, disregarasd the tudgA's opinion and brought in a yer diot for the defendant. The judge was obviously annoyed and made some re- u1Arks disparaging to the jury, wAsfe- upon the plaintiff's counsel said:
 pardon me, your honor, but tnis case was of very little importance ana I trust you will not take the losing or tt too much to heart"
 rhe eaustIe remark of an attorney m m appellate tribunal suggesting that the court was making statutes insteaa Of construang CT following those al. ready enacted, is credited to ssveFai we'll known lawyers and has generally taken the following form;
 your honor will pardon my igno- rance, hope. in being unfamiliar witn the law as che chief justice has 1ust stated 1t; no doubt 1t is not an extra ordinary occurrence for counsel to pc 'alxen unaware of the existence or statute while practising before a legls- lative body which produces new law while the case is in progress"
 Another re5oinsr Of semewhat