Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-10

put weeks of preparation, studying
law, exarnining witnesses, and. 1t may
be. going over the ground itself. OPP
posed TO him is II lawyer who has
given weeks 10 the preparation OF the
case FROM his standpoint. On the
bench sits ~ lawyer, whom we call
Judge. In the jury-box are twelve
men. strangers to him, with only their
faces and actions as indices of their
character. Unexpected turns in tha
evidence, the construction of the law,
bring surprises to him. and thru 1t
all he must he prepared to preserve
bis clients rights.
ut may be that instead of the court
house he goes to the great and gem
eral court, there to take part In the
enactment OF legislation, or, what In
these days may be, as important. to
prevent the enactment of bad leglsla-
ton.
"And tomorrow. by your vote, the
lawyer may take seat in the executive
chamber, there to execute the law
which he has studied, which he has
interpreted. and which he has as
sisted in the enactment"
If when Sunday comes the lawyer,
perchance, asks himself what kind OF
a sermon he would like to hear. sim
ply from his W personal selfish
standpoint somethink like the fol-
lowing might be the answer:
"Would he not say. one that had the
earmarks of a preparation such as he
himself has been accustomed to give
his own work? One that evidenced 1t
by it's logical continuity of ideas, by the
slkilful choice Of word or apt smile. by
the ready flow OF matured thought
dressed in appropriate language, even
more py that subtle, indescribable
something that bears witness silently
but none the less surely, to the we'll
thought-out discourse?
Would he o say thai was rich
in practical purpose? 1t Is incompre-
ilensible, a law suit without a definite
purpose. A suit in which n cent dam
ages are awarded may determine the
title to lands or goods worth thous-
ands. Even so, it is pleasing to the
LAWYER that he sermon should be adj
dressed to the accomplishment OF q
purpose at once practical and worthy
Whether 1t shall be to present a ne"
thought, to confirm an old one, Wheth-
err to stir a mind new to h truth OF
to strengthen one who has long be-
Neyed, whatever the motive, that there
should be one in evidence and n a a
practical. definite one is an element
that comedies with the legal mind ano
for that reason is pleasing.
and what shall we a in sincerity
of the preacher and his earnestness
Here, again, can you imagine a sue
cessful plea to a jury was not born Oh
the conviction in the attorneys mine
that he was laboring for the truth!
Even more would the absence OF sin
cerity and earnestness in him who
speaks for the truth, that his hearers
NAV be themselves truth-speaking ano
truth-acting, give to the sermon a hoi-
| lowness that all the fine arts of oratory
could not conceal.
"And then may / suggest that the
legal mind may like a sermon whicf
has within 1T, whether by way OF sim
lie. word picture, or line of reasoning
the markings OF O mind that has looked
at life in a broad way. that has fanil-
iarized itself with the many shades OF
life around us. that has gone fortf
studiously, intelligently, charitably, e
learn of others their mode of living
their ways of thinking, their weak
nesses by nature, their points OF YIELD
ing to surrounding influences, their
ambitions. prejudices, latent POSSIBLE
tiles, and the thousand and one things
that we are pleased to call environ
ment."