The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-25
Get THE MONEY"
Ross B. Gilluly Gives Young Al.
torneys Some Advice.
Kansas City Lawyer Speaks at
Washburn Law Banquet.
THE SAGE WAS THERE
Hon. J. G. Waters Charmed With
His Rich Rare Speech.
Supreme Court Judge Benson
Adds Words of Wisdom.
THE SAGE WAS THERE
Cut the ice and get the money"


the mouth of the Kaw." He's a law
yer and a good one, by virtue of hard
work, and a Kansas booster because
of his long residence in the state. And
it might be added that he's Irish and
practical at the same time. His name
is Ross Burns Gilluly.
Mr.. GilluIy has the face of a fighter
one Of the kind that portly and white
vested presidents of large corporations
like to look at. It's the face OF a man
who looks at the practical side of life,
even as Hartman did Mr.. Gilluly ad-
dressed the seventh annual banquet of
Washburn law school. given at the
Commercial club. Tuesday night. His
address was good because it was diff
ferent. 1t did not deal with winged
ideals. He did not take the soon-to-be
lawyers to the top of the Mount ana
show them the cities in the valley and
say "All these are yours if you do thus
and so. but do not do it. No SIR Mr.
Gilluly said: Get the money" He
showed the young men the cities and
told them to own them if they could.
Here are a few more things Mr..
Gilluly told the graduates:
Il I-qnt to impress upon you, how
ever, at the outset, that you have no
f1owery bed of ease before you. Years
a~o when told Judge GODDARD of this
city. that 1 intended to study law, he
looked sorrowful and said: My boy,
you have a rocky road to travel and
I am free to confess that 1 have found
the life of lawyer in the language of
the poet to be simply one damned
thing after another at the same time,
the law is a most delightful and fasci-
mating profession.
But you must keep up the reputa-
ton of the legal profession by manag-
ing to soon ride in your own convey
ances by properly manipulating the
conveyances of your clients.
Definition of Lawyer.
1.-THE latest definition I have heard
of a lawyer is "A gentleman who res
cues your property from your enemies
and keeps it for himself A layman'S
definition of contingent fee is: If the
client loses, the lawyer gets nothing;
if the client wins his case, the client
gets nothing
IF 1 were to put my advice to you
in the fewest words 1 would say. Cut
the ice and get the money If you do
that it will bring you success.
Be Practical.
BE tactful. diplomatic, versatile, re-
sourceful and methodical, but do not
develop into too much of a book worm,
yet study your cases well; don't be
superficial 1 remember of hearing
Circuit Judge Phillips of Kansas City
say to young lawyers: When you are
not busy with your business on hand,
study your books SO you will be we'll
versed when a client finally puts IN
his appearance With all due respect
to the judge, do not agree with him.
1 am not an admirer Of Micawber,-al-
ways waiting for something to turn up.
I believe in turning something up. I
have no patience with a young lawyer
who will sit around in his office day in
and day out with his nose in a book
and no business. Such a man will
never be successful and will always be
as poor as a church mouse. He is all
theory and no practice. Above AL
things be practical"
Benson Talks.
Alfred w. Benson. justice of the SUI
preme court of Kansas and former
United States senator for the Sun
flower commonwealth. was another
speaker Judge Benson was greeted
with loud applause as his speech pro-
crossed. He was feeling good and
seemed to take a great pleasure in his
task. In part. the judge spoke as fol-
lows:
ut is often said that this is the com
mercial age. The great war for the
Union taught patriotism intense and
unyielding-and unsparing of sacrifice,
and the lesson is not lost-but in the
building up of vast enterprises and
vaster fortunes, in the wonderful
of the products of soil
and mine and mill, and the energies of
men and of the nation into gold-we
are dangerously inclined to look upon
that as the chief good-but it is not. |
Manhood is still above money, and char
acter outweighs all collaterals. How
possess the things; they must not pos
seSs US. The lawyer secs in the brok- |
en- families wrecked by the pursuit of
money or by its inheritance from an
industrious parent, how vain is mere
without a Just sense of
Seeing these things, the
lawyer stands for fair play in the
building up of fortunes and their right
use to promote the things that are
just and true and of good report. The
lawyer must in all these things stand
for the honor and glory of manhood
and womanhood-as against every as
sault of ayarice and greed
Right Living.
at have not spoken of the things of
individual conScience-of right living
and right thinking-of the importance
of looking not so much upon our own
things as in charity and helpfulness
upon the things of others.
"A new firm once placed this legend |
upon its announcement card. I'VE |
practice law for pay" What is pay p? |
Money is not always the best pay-al- |
though we need it in order to live. es- |
peclally now, Wnen the cost mark is |
ever shifting upWard-but money after |
all is but an incident, necessary though |
it be. Service and not money is the |
principal thing-and % be useful is |
the best ambition.
1.-The lawyer stands then for the sim |
pie graces of gentlemaEly conduct; for |
the best things in government and |
politics; for fair play in business; for |
social betterment, and individual |
rightness. He stands. too. as his high |
calling demands. for the rights of his |
client, which he is bound to maintain |
by all honorable effort and by no |
other; and he stands always for the |
guidance and instruction of the court, |
to bring to its aid treasures new and |
old out of the repositories of learning |