The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-08-17
WHEN is A MAN 2ta
Think n Moment Before You Attempt
to Answer the Qucstioa.


to Answer the Qucstios.
"It Is often said that law IL applied
common sense" said professoT Of the
Yale Law school the other day. While
II is true that law principles originated
I'm common sense. the law Itself IL the
combined experience OF many men. for
no two men uninstructcd in law will
agree a. TO what Is applied commoii
sense.
"Then there are many rules Of law
which undoubtedly have common
sense origin. but conditions having
changed. history fails 10 disclose this
origin Yet these very rules must be
retained IN order not TO shake pcrsD..al
nnd property rights Therefore Ia man
can depend on his own uninstructed
common sense 10 know the law.
"To drive this statement home have
frequently PIT to an incoming law
class the quc-tio. When does an tn
fant become Of ngcT The answer II
always unanimous. When he Is TWEEN.
ty-onc years old
The next question appears ridicu-
lous tD some and makes them laugh.
while others set their alleged common
sense at work and never with correct
result. When Is man twenty.onc
years oldT
zone student says. 'On-his twenty.
hrBt birthday but of course he does
not mean lt. for he Il about n year out
Of the way Another ventures. 'On tho
twcnty-flrst anniversary of his birth.
day This sounds better. hut even N
correct Is not specific enough. when
he has completed HIS twcnty-6rst ami
ycrsury.' At the beginning of that day
and 'On his twcnty-hrst anniversary.
NJ the precise hour ~ his BIRTH are
Other answers.
"And then surprise the guesscrs by
saving that they are all wrong.
In computing time II Il general
rule that tho law disrcgnrds part -
day IN applying this rule. suppose q
man was born Just one minute before
midnight on Jan. .. 1850.
at midnight he had lived but one
minute. yet the day on which he was
born was ended and the law consid-
cred him one day old. So IN computing
the twcnty.onc years which man
mt'st live In order 60 reach his maiori-
~ v.c do not begin with the moment "
bisti but with the commencement o;
the day ~ hls birth.
"Now. sine. we must start with the
lrst moment ~ Jan. .. 1880 II Is per.
haps natural 70 say that this man did
not become twcniy-onc years old until
the close of Jan. /. 1901 Mathematic-
| ally speaking this Is true.
"Twcuty-onc years In that sense re-
| quircs that the last momcnt of Jan. /,
1901. should have arrived In order to
| make the man Of age aud obviously
be- was OF age nt that point OF time.
But here again the rule ls applied.
AS the man was of age on the last
moment OF Jan. /. the law disrcgards
The entire part Of the day Intervening
! between the first moment ana the last.
AMI consequently he became In law
twcuty-onc years old on the first mo.
mcIt of Jan I. 1901. the day preceding
the twcuty-Hrst anniversary OF his
birthday
"Ihis rule Il "A part Of what IL known
as the common law and Is applied In
th.8 country In all states whore the
common law Of ENGLAND has been
adopted and remains unchanged by
statute. \ man may vote or make a
valid viii on the day preceding the
twcuty-Grst anniversary OF his birth
day although the right IN the one case
and the capacity In the other are given
only 10 persons who have reached the
age Of twcnty-one ycars."-New YORK
sun.