Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 September 1891 — Old-Time Pleading. [ARTICLE]

Old-Time Pleading.

Of Major Botts, the Kentucky jury lawyer who died the other day, the Richmond State says that during the campaign the Major’s sympathies became excited in behalf of one Talbott, who was running for the Legislature against one Stanton. Stanton was having it all his own way, but Botts took Talbott aside and said to him: “John, let me advise you; when you start out next time speak loud and long. It doesn’t make a d b't of difference what you say; utar the first words that occur to you, but on no account halt or hesitate; and occasionally turn round to him and say, T want you to answer that when you follow me ’ ” The young men started on their second round and in less than two days reports caine to town that such eloquence as dropped from the lips of Talbott had never been heard in Tennessee; he was 1 terally tearing Sta iten to pieces. Confirmations of this report followed fast and followed faster. When the boys came home Botts asked Stanton how he was getting on. “Badly,” was the response. “I believe he will beat me. You might take the dictionary and cut out of it 5,000 words and pat them in a hat and shake it, and then draw out word by word and set them in a row and you would about have Talbott’s speech: and what is the worst of it, every fivejmmutes he turns to me an i says, T ’want you to answer that,’ when there is nothing to answer,” This is good satire on the methods of reaching juries and voters in that day, and in this day, too, though n< t used so successfully now as then. Men are quicker witted In these times. They read more, and hence they demand more fact and sound reason and less buncombe. But the old-time jury lawyer was a great power in his day. Few men have so successfully directed the mental workings of other men.