Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-26

"Say, boss. I'm steadyin' a liz fluff
who's eternally screechin' out. It's rot
accordin' to precedent Now. don't
think me soggy. but on tn level. who is
this precedent party?"
Why, Lon, precedent means somethin'
that has been said or did servin' as ex-
ample to be followed; parallel case IN
past performances. as 1t were.
In tn law. a joodicial decision when
stands for future determination Of similar
cases, that Is. s'pose one of our judges OF
today should decide that all speed-demons
who slippery up behind you when tn cop
amt loolxin', toot their tooters til you re
nearly skeered unconscious. an then bust
out girslin', would have to serve eighty-one
years for tryin' to mako vaudeville snow
outa tn hard-workin' popuiace. Then. II
In 100 years from now another ounch O.
them comedians should happen to get
snitched-which they undoubtedly will
tn Judge Of that period won't have TO set
up all night tryin' to figure out how much
time he rully oughta give EN-. out pein
hep to tn precedent set by our present
day Judge he'll lust fiddle with his lam
hricans'' for two or three minutes. then
have 'em stand up an deal EN- out this,
'Eighty-one years for your'n without q
tenth Of q minute on for no kind o De-
havior!" an they'll be took down 10
OccoQuan on tn 5:ss.
There Amt no six ways about 1t. lad.
precedent in law Is a mighty handy III
article. an then. too, it's very useiui dope
for communities as whole. as tn. guys
Of tn dear dead days beyond recall who
at some new curve were unQuestionably
tryin' their durndest to lace out prece-
dent that could never be heided. but u
don't always hold good for tn individual
himself, for tn '.grasshopper" who eats.
drinks. sleeps an acts by precedent alone
has ceased from tn shoulders northward,
an In only waitin' to be inferred.
tn weakest spot about precedent 30 far
attempted to feature some Of tn stunts
today that used to make our granda1res
regular 'papa-bears'' in their time We
wouldn't only get SWITCHED. but would
have to let committee take squint at
our headgear.
Take tn travclin' salesman. frinstance:
'Tvasn't but a few seasons back that IN
chief qualifications rooster had 70
possess TO become a classy drummer was
his capacity for flicker" an not what he
could splutter. His homes office not only
furnished him with all tn "Aitchy- Hoola"
cocktails he could handle for nothin. but
would have him pumped out gratis when
ever he needed pumpin'. an while there
trotters still fightin' for that precedent
they amt on tn big swing. but out IN N.
"bushes'' tryin' to interest folks in tn
, Everglades o. Florida
dents about 80 per cent Of tn furry,
but tn only reason it's a headliner
there is because regular folks don't
care a picayune particle what that
bunch get away with. as it's their own
| liz amusement an concerns them ems
tirely. But, even at that. II you'd
take the trouble to sift down tn causes
for tn many liz dos and dont's mack
erer' has to get wise to before he can
mingle. you'd find precedent at tn bot
tom of tn whole mess o. fddlin'. Take
tn spreadin' Of tn napkin all over
! ones front-piece. than Of which there
! Amt mona harder for tn ly-gotten.
rich Caterpillar" to finally unbuckle
from. There's rully no reason on earth