The National tribune., 1907-04-25
BENJAMIN HARRIsoN's LAW FEES.
His Modesty Compared With Tint of
senator Knox.

Senator Knox.
John w. Yerkes. of Kentucky. Com
missioner of Internal Revenue. one of
the most popular men in the ROOSEVELT
acknowledgements from his ex-
cellent qualities of human spirit as wei
as for his ability and integrity as a
public servant, loves story with a
bright point, and he can relate it HIM
self with engaging color and flavor OF
life. He was in a group talking about
the big fees nowadays paid lawyers of
proved ability and skill. He narrated
this:
few years after Benjamin Harrison
quit the White House as his official
domicile the noted Elkins-Widener
syndicate bought up the traction lines
of his home town, Indianapolis. a
raucous local howl went up over the
deal. and those opposed to it deter
mined to carry the quarrel into the
courts. They filed double-barrei
prayer They set forth that the lines
sought to be controlled by the syndi-
cate had no rights the people were
bound to respect: ergo, the franchises
We're worthless. If this plea should not
be upheld, it was then insisted that the
lines should be required to charge not
more than three cents fare. Either
proposition, sustained dt lslll lliil:.
would have run the syndicate out OF
business in Indianapolis.
Thus confronted the syndicate, whose
headquarters were in Philadelphia, sent
for Philander Chase Knox, afterward
Acknowledgement and now United
States Senator from Pennsylvania. Mr..
Knox was retained as their attorney in
the case. He went at once to Indian
apolis to investigate the situation. When
q cd q rpnnrtpI q form ida HE
general feeling against the syndicate.
and advised that no better thing could
be done than to retain Mr.. Harrison,
the former President, to combat the
opposition with his legal acumen and
his political prestige. 1t was agreed
that as Mr.. Knox had been selected to
manage the case he would better do as
he pleased about it.
So Mr.. Harrison was taken into coun-
sci. The case was fought to finish in
the Indiana courts, and the syndicate
won complete victory. After it was
all over the late President went to Mr..
Knox and told him that under ordinary
conditions he would render his bill for
professional services to Mr. Knox for
his Endorsement to be transmitted to the
syndicate. "But in this CASE said Mr.
Harrison, II feel justified in a different
course-not thru any disposition to be
diScourteous to you. but to relieve you
from possible embarrassment. This has
been very important case. We have
saved our clients great deal of money.
/ am getting far along in years. and l
propose to render bill commensurate
| with my services and with the impor-
lance of the case. The bill viii be
| large. 1 wish to relieve you from any
necessity or constraint of sentiment that
you should indorSe an account which
you might conscientiously regard as ex-
| tortionate, and, on the other hand,
would avert from you any embarrass-
ment that in so doing you might hu-
initiate me in the event the account
| were not allowed. Therefore, 1 ask
your permission to present the bill d.
rect"
| Such a course, Mr.. Knox replied,
would be to him perfectly satisfactory
Mr.. Knox thought no more of it for the
time being Mr.. Harrison made out a
bill for s25,000. and sent it to the Phil
adeiphia syndicate. Promptly the syn
dictate responded with a check for the
| amount of the bill and a cordial letter
| of thanks for the efficient service rem
| dered.
Some time thereafter NIessrs. Knox
! and Harrison met at Saratoga Springs,
| N. Y. The former President of the
| United States mentioned the fact that
he realized the bill for $4,000 he had
presented to the Philadelphia syndicate
in the case in which they were asso-
ciate counsel was unusually large, but
that it had been settled promptly and
without a word of complaint.
| why" spoke Mr.. Knox, should they
complain? My bill was for 100000
thought yours would be not less.
4 R~d~