Newark post., 1911-05-31
His Majesty
The Dog

Qn last weeks issue we gave
the famous speech Of Senator
Vest on the dog. We made no
CONTINENTS. This week, by RE
quest, we are reprinting the speech
giving the facts leading up to
its delivery.
All good men love dog. To
win the love and respect of a dog
is no slight compliment. And not
to know that love is to lose some
thing OF which the best have felt
a sense of honor and pride.
An old ''yaller cur"-yes-there
are lots of us in both the brute
and human species. So let us
treat him kindly as we ask our
superiors to treat us.-Ed)
Senator Vest, of Missouri, was
attending court in a country town
and while waiting for the trial o.
a case in which he was interested,
he was urged by the attorneys in
dog case to help them. He was
paid fee of $3.50 by the plaintiff.
Noluminous evidence was intro
duced to show that the defendant
had shot the dog in malice, while
the other evidence went to show
that the dog had attacked the
defendant. Vest took no part in
the trial and was not disposed to
speak. The attorneys, however,
urged him to make a speech, else
their client would not think he had
earned his fee. Being thus urged,
he arose, scanned the face of each
juryman for moment, and said:
Gentlemen of the Jury: The
best friend man has in this world
may turn against him and become
his enemy. His son or daughter
that he has reared with loving care
may prove ungrateful. Those who
are neares- and dearest to us,
those whom we trust with Our
happiness and Our good name,
may become traitors to their faith.
The none ythat man has he
may lose. 1t flies away from him,
| perhaps when he needs it most. A
mans reputation may be sacrific-
ed in a moment of ill-considered
action. The people who are prone
to fall on their knees to do Us
| honor when success is with us
may be the first to throw the
stone of malice when failure ser
ties its cloud upon Our heads. The
one absolutely unselfsh friend
that man can have in this selfish
world the one that never deserts
him, the one that never proves TN
grateful or treacherous, is his dog.
Gentlemen Of the jury, a mans S
dog stands by him in prosperity
and in poverty, in health and in
sickness. He will sleep on the
cold ground where the wintry
winds blow and the snow drives
iercely if only he may be near his
masters side. He will kiss the
hand that has no food to offer, he
will lick the wounds and sores
that come in encounter with the
roughness of the world. He guards
the sleep of his pauper master as
| if he were a prince. When all
other friends desert he remains.
! When riches take wings and repu-
tation falls to pieces he is as con-
stand in his love as the sun in its
journey through the heavens. If
| fortune drives the master forth an
dutcast in the world, friendless
and homeless, the faithful dog
asks no higher privilege than that
of accompanying him to guard
against danger, to fight against
his enemies, and when the last
scene Of all comes, and death
takes the master in it's embrace,
and his body is laid away in the
cold ground, no matter if all other
| friends pursue their way, there by
his graveside will the noble dog
be found, his head between his
paws, his eyes sad, but open in
alert watchlulness, faithful anc
true even to death.
| Then Vest sat down. He had
| spoken in a low voice, without
any gesture. He made no refer
ence to the evidence or the merits
of the case. When he finished
Judge and jury were wiping their
eyes. The jury returned yer.
dict in favor of the plaintiff fo1
$500. He had sued for $500.