One Thousand Ways to Make a Living; or, An Encyclopædia of Plans to Make Money

by Harold Morse Dunphy

I knew two men, one a secretary to the County Commissioner, and the other in the auditor’s office. They each desired some day to be commissioners for their county. They served in their respective capacities for five to six years. This gave them a good income, a chance to establish their homes, properly educate their family, and finally they came to the conclusion that they were sufficiently well acquainted, and capable of handling the office of county commissioner, and proceeded to announce themselves as candidates for this office. They worked jointly, each supporting the other, and in this way they had all their friends in their joint support. They were not good speakers, but they were well liked in the community and the years that they had served the people, had proven of great value to them. Everybody knew them as deserving. They had served the county for years, and why could they not serve as commissioners in as good a manner as they had served in their other positions? The men who were contestants for the office had had no prior experience, and they used to good advantage the argument that being trained in the line of work which they had done, that they were better qualified than the other parties to serve the country’s needs, and they succeeded on that program.

PLAN No. 633. A LAWYER BECOMES A JUDGE

To build up a political success one is invariably dependent upon his friends, and an aspirant for office will be very much surprised when he enters the race and finds how very few working friends he actually possesses. He may be well known in the community, and have a good reputation, but when he makes an attempt for public office, he will be fortunate if he finds ten men of the thousands of his friends who will come out and work conscientiously for him. This is especially true of the man who lives in a large city.

This young lawyer was fortunate in respect that he had a father who had won an enviable reputation before him, and with five or six friends who would put their entire time at his disposal, concluded to make the race for the judgeship. He put out the regular cards and allowed his friends to deliver them, and put out the necessary literature. He then obtained all the newspaper comments he could get, and he was fortunate in having one friend who was a reporter, who assisted him.

He was not regarded as a public speaker, but his friends came to his rescue on this point, and did everything they could to make up this deficiency. Two of his friends knew politics; knew who controlled votes and who did not. These two men worked unceasingly for his interests.

What I have stated is the general procedure of the man who intended to make a political career a success, but his main dependence rested upon his following the advice of his friends, who said: “Now judge make good on the bench.”

He started in with a very ordinary experience, but he was courteous to all. He made it a special point not to make a statement from the bench that would be injurious to the attorney or would prejudice him with his clients. He realized that when two attorneys stood before him arguing for their respective sides, that one was sure to be mistaken. But, too, he further realized that both sides of the question were serving to bring about a right and proper decision in the matter, which was to assist him in giving a right judgment.

No matter how tired he might be, or how put out with the arguing of cases, he made it a point to be patient. Especially was this true of young men who appeared before him, and in this manner he won high appreciation of all members of the bar. Any time he was criticised, he had hundreds of supporters of the bar to defend him.

Each time he comes up for election his success is assured. They know him to be patient and courteous and a gentleman on the bench and thoughtful of other people’s rights and interests, and also they know of his sincere desire to bring about justice between the litigants.

There is no doubt about the integrity of the court, but often times a word from the bench may be said in anger or impatience, which will greatly prejudice the attorney who stands before him with his client. And many times it is the cause of a loss of hundreds of dollars worth of business to the attorney.