The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-05-04

mean literally that, there is no law
for the poor man. Without ans
money he is beaten before he steps
into courtroom.
Here's case in point; lam To-
eating ii in New York but 1t is Just
as true in Chicago, Denver, San
Francisco or any other big city. Take
an ordinary man earning. say $1,000
u year. who is injured while riding
on broadway car. A policeman
keeps back the crowd aud sends
rapidly for an ambulance. This SER
vice is free. The injured man is at
tended by ;~surgeon and carried to
q hospital. where he is treated with
the best surgical skill modern science
has produced. This costs him moth
ing and. If his case is particularly
dangerous, the most expert surgeons
are called in consultation. This at
tention, which would be worth thou
sands to the rich man, the POOR man
obtains without cost to himself.
Eventually, lie leaves the hos
pftal. but he goes on<erutches. usu-
ally lie goes home to II family-for
most $1,000 year men are married.
What is his situation now? The
savings lave been used up of course.
His old position has been filed. He
can't work as he used to. His isn't
an unusual case-there are dozens
of them every week.
Now, We come to the law-if the
street railway company offers to set
tie. the offer is inadequate. The
man WHO has lost Il leg always feels
that 1t Us more valuable to him than
20 the railroad. so he begins suit.
Does he begin after consulting with
a lawyer Of wide experience? Why,
the poor unfortunate couldn't even
get past the door boy in big office
so he gocst some young man
who. for the experience and posi-
BILE contingent fee, takes his case.
Even starting the suit costs money,
and II by chance the case gets into
court in the next tiv" or six years,
which IS a moderate cstimate-a
case came up for trial in New York
only the other day which har been
fcrty-siX years on the calendar-his
inexperienced lawyer finds opposing
him Rufus II. Choate, or perhaps
Elifu Root, or some other man whose
very presence in court is a sign of.
defeat. tell you he's beaten before
he starts.
Suppose, however. that the SEEM
ingly impossible happens and he
wins the'suit. The railroad immedi-
ately appeals and drags through
many years. Suppose. on the other
hand, which is much more likely,
that the railroad wins the suit, can
the poorman appeal? HeN cannot.
Where is he going to get. the money
to pay for the printing OF the testi-
mony and the other incidental ex-
penses which interposc between \ a
poor man and an appeal to the high
cr courts. That's as far as he is
able to go.
Now. then the law to which the
poor man is appealing is interpreted
by judges who are on tie poor mans
salary list. No matter how poor we
may be we pay an Indirect tax, and
usually the poorer we are the great
err in proportion is the tax. But we
arc getting nothing for our. money.
I'VE have free hospitals, free
schools. free Fairgrounds, free
clinics, free lecturers, but the one,
thing in the world to which a poor
man should be able to appeal-the
one thing he has the right to demand
free service fronts so costly as to
be beyond all use to him-and that
is the law. Itworks>against him but
never for him. Do you remember
what old Tolstoi said. .You educate
the poor, you feed the poor, you
amuse the poor, but you never get,
|off their Backs"