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SOME MODERN TENDENCIES

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not know. Is the lawyer more speculative for his labor than any class save the clergy, than the merchant? Is there anything in but when young men come to the profes the practice of law calculated to make him sion of the law with the primary and so? Love is sometimes called a lottery, but dominating purpose of making money, the surely no one ever dreamed of speaking so knell will be sounded of those honorable tra disrespectfully of law. I had a few words ditions which to this day give us a right to with a company promoter not long ago and the respect and confidence of our fellow men. I asked him whether he found lawyers, as If money be your object in life, do not com a class, more speculative than other people. mit the supreme folly of coming to the His reply was given in the venacular with Bar. You'll find far more of it in railways evident sincerity : — "The man does not live and banks, and warehouses and factories. who could do one of them for a five-dollar Law is not a money-making business. The bill, but they are the easiest mark in the ambition for wealth is omitted from the country for a couple of thousand each. " We lawyer's oath of office. He consecrates him must enquire into this, and instead of preach self to other and higher purposes. I am ing to the junior bar to be sure to make less quite well aware that anything that might be money, let us tell them to take better care said of the distinction between trades and of what they do make. Having said this professions would be regarded by many as much, let us enquire whether there is any irritating twaddle. As a basis of class dis thing in the suggestion that we are becoming tinctions there has been very much that is too mercenary. I heard Governor Hughes, irritating. The strong men of commerce of New York, tell a story which may or may upon whose sagacity, enterprise and capital not have reached you. A young man left so much depends for the material develop home for one of the law schools of Hungary ment of a country, command our respect and filled with high hopes of returning ere long admiration, and, perhaps — too often, —• our bearing the coveted dog skin — the diplomas envy. We must not assert a vaunting claim being all written on dogskins. He diligently- to superiority, but we ought to remember kept all the terms and followed the course that there is something distinctive of the until he graduated with distinction. But professions. Your clergyman ministers to he returned home without the coveted di your spiritual nature, and your respect for ploma. His family and friends gathered him is not gauged by the amount of his around him and said : " It is all very well for stipend. Your physician's skill is engaged you to say that you passed with honours. for the lives and health of your loved ones. If you did, where is the diploma?" The The world's criteria of values yield before only excuse the young man had to offer was the great experiences of- life. Sit by the that there were more lawyers than there bedside of your only child when the gray dawn begins to reveal again the pallor of were dogs in Hungary. Our ranks are not thinning out anywhere the sunken cheeks, and you will think less as far as I can discover. Every year brings of the rise and fall of stocks; nor will you its new influx of aspiring barristers, each compare your devoted doctor with your requiring a new constituency. Is there not, excellent broker. You will simply say the at least, some temptation to sink into the two are quite different, and the one is not arts of competition; and do we not hear dis measured by any standards that are known cussions of the question how far a lawyer on the exchange. So must we pause to may advertise? I repeat what I said a remember in the hurry-scurry of routine, moment ago that I believe it right that a that as lawyers we are not dealing with lawyer should make money, and I think pig iron and molasses, but with eternal the lawyer receives less monentary reward principles of morals and justice, upon the