The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-07-17
The Lawyer
And His Client
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
IN CONNECTION WITH THEIR
RELATIONSHIP.

Hundreds of people who are not law
vers have wondered If lawyer could
compel himself to try to free person
from going to the penttentiafy when
he the lawyer, knew that his client
was guilty Of the crime with which he
was charged by the court. Can a: law
yer work to have a man kept from the
qallows. when he knows that he muir
dered another man? Would he con-
coct evidence of such a nature that
can not be overthrown, when the law
YER himself knows that the evidence
is wholly due to his own inventiveness
and not to the facts In the caseP
would lawyer get up before a court
and throng of people and earnestly
Meal for the acquittal of his client
when he knows that he is guilty and
should be punished? 1t is wrong for
the lawyer to take upon himself great
and intense earnestness, which is
prompted not by the cause he is
pleading for, but by his ability to throw
himself into such state as to give
out the impression to the jury that tne
energy he displays is due to his belief
that the man is innocent and should
be freed? Does a lawyer do wrong
when he does these things2
answers shifted to pr. johnson.
a local lawyer was asked these ques.
tfons this morning. and he replied that
those questions had been put to him
thousand times in his life. He gave
for an answer a reference to that book
which contains dissertations upon q
thousand different subjects, the life
of DR.. johnson, by Boswell, a htog-
raphy which is filled with questions
and answers upon interesting sub
5ects. DR.. Johnson's views upon thu
duties and ethics of the lawyer have
influenced lawyers ever since, and
have had great weight in making
the legal profession what it Is today.
The reference of which the lawyer
spoke, is given in full. 1t is as fol
lows:
pr. Johnson On Legal Ethics.
: Boswell asked the Doctor whether
as a moralist he did not think the
practice Of the law hurt the nice feel
ing Of honesty.
"1ohnson-why no sir; If you act
properly you are not to deceive your
clients with false representations Oh
your opinions. You are not to tell lies
to the judge.
"Boswell-But what do you think OF
supporting a cause you know to be
bad?
"Johnson-sir, you do not know "
to he good or bad until the judge &c,
term,nes it. / have said that you are
70 state facts fairly, SO that your
thinking or what you call knowing
cause to be bad must be from reason
ing, must be from surprising your ar
rument to be weak or inconclusive.
hut. sir. that is not enough. An ar
gIment that does not convince your
self may convince the judge to whom
YOU urge 1t, and If it does convince
him, why then, you are wrong and he
is right. 1t Is his business to Judge
and you are not to be conndent N
your own opinion that your cause Is
bad, but to say all you can for your
client and then hear the judges opin.
ion.
'Boswell-But, sir, does not AFFECT
ing warmth when you have no
warmth and appearing to be clearly OF
one opinion when you are in reality
of onather opinion does not such
discrimination impair ones honestly
Is there not some danger that law
yer may put on the same mask in
common life, In the intercourse with
his friends? 4. IN ss
HJohnsonlWhy, mo- sir; yergobdy
Knows you are paid for attectine
warmth Tor yonr clients and It IS