Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 11.pdf/583

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The Green Bag.

cent. He made no secret of his belief, and was asked to write an article in the interest of justice. His answer has become historic, and no doubt was one of the actuating impulses which drove Zola into the arena and led to the release of Dreyfus. Labori said: "It would do no good to write a review article. You cannot dry a lake with a teaspoon. Very much more is needed than an arti cle. But there is a way, I think, by which the desired result might be attained. Yes, there surely is. It is by one of those sacri fices, the old-world memories of which are enshrined in the legends of the Middle Ages, or at least by readiness to make one. Let a man of weight and capacity throw his whole personality and his entire activity into the scale of justice, consecrating his life and his work to the r1ghting of the wrong, heedless of the consequences, and the feat is achieved. This is my belief. A man of this temper might be found. It is worth considering." It was not until later that Zola threw his whole life into the cause of justice, and France was compelled to listen to reason and do a tardy justice. When the new trial was ordered, Labori

was asked to become one of the counsel for Dreyfus. He accepted only on condi tion that he should undertake it as a work of love, and faithfully has he labored, with out fee or reward, for his much-abused client. Though leading such a busy life, the great advocate finds a pleasure in the home circle, whose central figure is Madame Labori, the once well-known English pianist, Miss Maggie Okey, who became the wife of De Pachmann, but finding the union one of unhappiness, obtained a divorce from him, and subsequently married the brilliant lawyer. The Laboris are a model couple, living happily, having a mutual ambition and iden tity of interests, and each feeling that the other is the best and most perfect partner that can be found. During the Esterhazy and Dreyfus trials, Madame Labori acted as her husband's sec retary and helped him to a very great ex tent. The world is better for such men as La bori, and tyrants tremble when the bar has among its members such fearless advocates of equal rights and justice to all.