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The Green Bag.

continent of Europe, especially in his capac ity of tourist; for leading English statesmen have repeatedly confessed to this, during the last three years. One of the reasons for his unpopularity, strangely enough, is declared by Ihering to be worthy of unqualified praise. He contrasts the Briton with his German countrymen in Austria. "The lat ter, when duped by inn-keepers, hackmen and the like," he says, "shun the disagreeableness of a public controversy and pay; while the Englishman resists all such unfair •exactions,'1 with a manfulness which would make one think he was defending the laws of Old England. In case of need, he even postpones his departure, remains days in the place, and spends ten times the amount he refuses to pay. Austrians laugh at him, and cannot understand him. "It would be bet ter." asserts the learned jurist, "if they did understand him. ... In the few pieces of . silver which the Englishman refuses and which the Austrian pays, there lies co'ncealed more than one would think, of England and Austria; there lie concealed centuries of their political development and of their so cial life. If we may accept the views of this brilliant jurist, the pet saying of the Scotch man that he will have peace if he has to fight for it, is not so ludicrous as it seems. Nay, it is a fit motto for the best citizenship. When the English tourist wins his law suit against an overreaching or dishonest inn keeper or hackman, he not only vindicates his legal right, not only teaches this particu lar wrongdoer a wholesome lesson, but he wins exemption for himself and for his coun trymen from similar improper exactions in the future. Indeed, it may be safely laid down as a general rule, that not only political liberty but every private legal right is most fully recognized and observed, in a com munity where it is well known that its in vasion will call down upon the wrongdoer's head the heavy weight of a law suit. Let it be understood that the moment a legal right

is violated, the victim will not only crave the law, but will find it easy to engage the ser vices of a well-trained and able lawyer to enforce his petition, and the evil-minded man will think twice before deciding to violate the right. It is but natural, therefore, that in this republic, where the legal profession is, as it was in Burke's day, more numerous and influential than in any other land, we have the most orderly, peaceful and thriving pop ulation of the world. Not long ago, I listened to an interesting address before the Society of Medical Juris prudence, by Dr. Woodbury, Street Clean ing Commissioner of New York City, on the sanitary condition of the metropolis. He displayed numerous pictures showing the bacteria infesting the atmosphere in various parts of the town. I was selfish enough to observe with pleasure, that the air surround ing Columbia University, on Morningside Heights, was comparatively free from these pests. On the east side, however, where we have the most densely populated square mile of territory, I believe, to be found any where on the earth's surface, the air was laden with bacteria, the density of microbes rivalling the density of mankind. I was astounded and alarmed. My fancy pictured all kinds of diseases generating in the in fested district and spreading havoc through the length and breadth of Manhattan Island. At the close of the address, the theme was thrown open for discussion. One of the first to speak was a lawyer, who declared that as he listened to Dr. Woodbury and looked at the pictures, he wondered how human life could survive on that East Side. He was born in that region, he assured us, and had seemed to flourish in that atmosphere. As I looked at his genial, smiling face, and at his robust and well-padded physique, I began tc thank God and take courage. Following him came a learned doctor, who assured us that all bacteria were not disease-breeders; that irtanv forms were whollv beneficial. Instead