The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-02-08

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tee. Among The rest were John 7.
Stuart. Cyrus Walker. S. H. Treat.
Jesse Thomas. George Forquer- Dan
Stone. NInian W. Edwards, John J.
Hardin. Schuyler Strong. A. T. Blcd-
soc aud Josiah L.anborn.
By this time Mr.. Lincoln enjoyed
considerable local fame MS politician.
but meme. Of course. as a lawyer. He
therefore needed u partner and got one
In the person Of John 4! Stuart. nm
able and distinguished Wing. who had
relieved his poverty years before by
the. timely loan OF books with which
to study law and who had from the.
first promoted his political fortunes
with zeal MS d~fsinterested MS II was eff
tective. The connection promised well
for Mr.. Lincoln and no doubt did well
during the short period OF It's existence.
The courtroom was In Hoffman:s row,
and the office OF Stuart & Lincoln was
In the second story above the court.
room. II was a little room and gen.
orally n dirty one. II contained "a
small, dirty bed on which Lincoln
leunged and slept, a baffaio robe, a
chair and a bench. Here tie Junior
partner when disengaged from the
cares of politics and the legislature.
was to be found pretty much all the
time, reading, distracted and g[6omy.w
Springfield was a small village, con-
tanning between n and two thousand
inhabitants. There were no pave.
ments. The street crossings We're
made of Chunks" stones and sticks.
Lincoln boarded with Hon. william
Butler. a gentleman who possessed I'm
an eminent degree that mysterious
power which guides the deliberations
of party conventions and legislative
bodies to n foregone conclusion. Lin
coin was very poor. worth nothing and
In debt, circumstances which are not
often alleged in behalf of the, modern
Legislator, but Bill Butler was his
friend and took him in with little ref
erence to board bills and the settle
ment Of accounts. According to DIR.
Jayne, he "fed and clothed him for
years." and this signal service. render
cd at a very critical time, Mr.. Lincoln
forgot wholly when he was In con-
gress and Butler wanted TO be register
OF the land Office as well as when he
was president OF the United States and
opportunities Of repayment were null
titudinous. 1t Is doubtless all true, but
the inference OF personal ingratitude
on the part OF AIR. Lincoln will not
bear examination. 1t will be shown at
another place that Mr.. Lincoln regard
ed all public offices within his gift us a
sacred trust to he administered solely
for the people aud as In no sense a
ftind upon which he could draw for the
payment Of private accounts. He new
er preferred his friends to his enemies,
hut rather the reverse. MS IL fearful
that he might by bare possibility be
Influenced by. some unworthy motive.
He was slpgularly cautious to avoid
the imputatson Of fidelity to bis friends
at the expense Of his opponents.
In Coke's and Blackstone,s time the
law was supposed to be ga jealous mis-:
tress." but In Lincoln's time and at
Springfield she was anything but y.
acting. Politicians conrstd her only,
to make her favor the stepping stone.
to success In other efnpinStrnnts. Va.
erious members OF that har. have left
great regulations to p~osterity. but none
Of them were earned solely by the le-
gitinate practice of the law. Douglas
Is remembered as a statesman, Baker
rs n political orator. Hardin as a SOL
,lier. and some now living. like Logan
and Stuart. although eminent, in the
law. will he no less known to the his
tory of the times us politicians than as
lawyers. Among those who went to
the law for a living and to the people
for fame and power was Mr.. Lincoln.
Ito be Continued To.mo,row.)