A poor man in the State of Missouri owned a dog, his constant companion.
A churlish neighbor, without provocation, killed the dog. Too poor to
prosecute the offender, the man was without redress. United States
Senator Vest of Missouri was informed of the circumstances and at once
offered his services, without pay, to prosecute the case. The offender
was summoned to court and the following plea was made before a jury of
twelve men. Without leaving their seats these twelve men unanimously
agreed upon a verdict of a $500.00 penalty against the defendant. The
following was Senator Vest’s address to the jury:
“Gentlemen of the Jury: The best friend a man has in this world may turn
against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared
with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest
to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may
become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has he may lose. It
flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man’s reputation
may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who
are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us
may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its
cloud upon our heads. The one absolute, unselfish friend that a man can
have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that
never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.
“Gentlemen of the Jury: A man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and
poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground,
where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he can
be near his master’s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to
offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the
roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if
he were a prince. When all other friends desert he remains. When riches
take wings and reputation falls to pieces he is as constant in his love
as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the
master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the
faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to
guard against danger, to fight against his enemies, and when the last
scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace and his
body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends
pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found,
his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open and in alert
watchfulness, faithful and true even to death.”
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