Page:North Dakota Law Review Vol. 1 No. 10 (1924).pdf/8

8 porarily controlled by classes or masses, of any power dangerous to the individual, rich or poor, strong or weak.

“Our constitutions never knew, and do not now recognize any distinction between poverty and riches, individual power or the lack of it. All they recognize in man is his humanity and the inherent God given rights which attend it. Is it not time for the American Bar to reconsecrate itself to the cause of American constitutionalism, and by precept and example demonstrate anew its fidelity to its oath to support and defend our constitution, the charter of a government incapable of tyranny because one so RESTRAINED as to make human freedom forever secure?”

That's the subject on which Mr. Hardy of Fargo expressed himself to the members of the Bar. We'll quote enough of what he said to make you want to read all of it when the Proceedings are published:

“There are two kinds of law, viz: constitutional law and common law; the former being intended to curb the rotten rich, the latter to suppress the proletariat.

“A young man who shows a propensity for arguing on both sides of any question, in a tone of voice loud enough, and for a period of time long enough, to preclude the possibility of anyone having the patience to nullify his utterances, should instantly be taken from school, the younger the better, and given a moderate correspondence school course in law; or, if the paternal pocketbook will not stretch that far, he should be given a book entitled ‘Everyone His Own Lawyer,’ which may be borrowed from any practicing attorney or purchased from Montgomery Ward at 69 cents, cash accompanying order, further preparation for the legal profession being superfluous.

“Being now fully equipped for practice, the neophyte should purchase a Colliers’ Dictionary at 98 cents, in the back of which he will find a glossary of legal terms in dog-latin, which he will find useful in mystifying the clients who will clamour for his aid. . . For instance, if a client seeks to recover possession of a cow, the lawyer should tell him (after carefully closing the door and transom) that this is ultra vires, and unless the Judge can be made to rule that habeas corpus proceedings are applicable, the jury may decide that the principle of caveat emptor will obtain and the Court issue a duces tecum; but (taking down from the shelf a treatise on Jetsam & Flotsam) the lawyer should remark ‘Few of the legal profession are wise to this statute, which has been passed on by our Supreme Court in the case of Twobit vs. Hagen, Robinson writing the opinion and Grace assenting, and if you care to go to the expense of a certiorari I am satisfied that I can keep you out of jail.’ By this time the client is ready to pay a retainer, one client sufficing to pay the overhead of his office and a reasonable living salary, the balance being all velvet.”