Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1924-01-11
WITH THE
HIGH SCHOOL
CLASSICS
By MARGARET BOYD

Into strange situations; but Justice 10
the same, let the Judge be In what stu
alton he wiIl."-Speech on "concllla-
ton With America
We think at once Of that ruler Of
ancient Sparta, who announced that
the next man who violated a certain
law should be put to death, and the
first violator to be brought before him
was his only son. The people pleaded
with him not to break his own heart
by sentencing his son, for the ruler
was much loved and respected by his
countrymen. He felt, however, as did
Burke that "justice Is the same, let
the judge be In whatever situation he
Will" He reasoned that if the offender
I had not been his son, he would have
been the son Of some one else who
would have loved him just as dearly,
and that, therefore, the question OF
affection could not be considered.
Modern judges are rarely called
upon to sentence their own sons; but
they are frequently called upon to
sentence their own ambitions. Our
present system of electing judges
makes 1t highly improbable that a
Judge who offends an important po-
litical boss or a strong organization
will ever advance Tar in his profess
sion. Some years ago, for example,
there was a great scandal in one Of
our states about the spending Of state
money. The so-called graft cases were
tried before a judge who refused to
be Influenced by anything except the
evidence, and the millionaire grafters
were found guilty. Those who did
not escape by suicide were sent to the
penitentiary. These men were friends
of the strongest political boss then
living. When that judge was nomi-
mated for place in the Supreme court
of his state he was defeated for cleo
ton, although all the state, with the
exception of two cities, voted for him
When a judge lets himself be inhu-
enced by the strange situation In
which he finds himself, we may be
pretty sure to hear of the tyranny Of
the law rather than of the justice Of
the law. Bacon, an eminent authority
on the subject of judicature, if ever
there were one, says: zone foul SEN
tence doth more hurt than many foul
examples. For these do but corrupt
the stream; the other corrupteth the
fountain"
And again: "a judge ought to pre-
pare his way to just sentence, as
God useth to prepare his way, by
praising valleys and taking down
hills; so when there appeareth on
either side an high hand, violent prose
cution, cunning advantage taken, COM
bination, power, great counsel, then Is
the virtue of q judge seen, to make In
equality equal; that he may plant his
judgment as upon an even ground"
ain vain the learning of the age
Unclssped the sabIe-iettered page;
Even in its treasures he could find
Food for the fever of his mind"
Lady of the Lake.
According to an old story, three
men, a lumberman, q botanist and a
poet, went for walk together through |
a forest. After the walk, the lumber
man could discuss the sort Of lumber
the trees would make, and how much |
II would cut to the acre; the botanist
could name the species of trees and
underground, and could discuss the
geology Of the region; the poet could
FOL 90 he nf ha OH
the fiecking with light and shade Of |
the forest floor, and the coloring Of |
the tree trunks and leaves. All had /
looked at the same things; but each /
had seen just what his interest and l
training had fitted him TO see.
1t is much the same with reading. |
Three men may read the same book
and get from II three totally different
messages; or the same men may read
a book ar three different ages and get
from II three different messages. We
can understand Of any book or poem
only what our experience has fitted US
10 understand. We cannot comprehend
a thought that is outside our knowl-
edge. When a man evolves 4 new idea
the rest OF the world is unable 20 IN
derstand II until intellectual bridges
have been built 10 connect our old
IDEAS with the new idea.
When people nnd Shakespeare and
Milton and Thaekeray dull, Il merely
means thsy lack knowiscgs 90 enable
then 70 enjoy the works - these
writers. Pupils who rad shakespesrs
q bors while fhey ere in hlgh sehool
ars likely % fnd him 9 most faselnet
ing writer shsu fhey rereal f's Nesss
ffiaeD or twenty yfsrf pffr NO. 40
ouf ~ school bffansf fhry piN half
gslnfd IA knowledge 400 ftperepef
IA ils ipNufluf'
~ man laf WfHfa| nNrlsslae
Hfelsp M ~ m'nf M e4 hna faNi
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lla4sf 4Ni AZ UNlH|IfffF l.I N1Nu.|f