FIRST RIGHTFUL DECISION.
Reading edition
Attorney-General Bates objected to the appointment of a certain Judge to a government position. Mr. Lincoln said: "He did me a favor once, let me tell you about it."
"I was walking to court one morning with ten miles of bad road before me. The Judge overtook me and said:
"'Hello, Lincoln, going to the court house? Get in and I will give you a ride.'
"I got in and the Judge went on reading some court papers. Soon the carriage struck a stump on one side of the road and then something else on the other side. I looked out and saw the driver jerking from one side to the other on his seat, so I said, 'Judge I think your driver has taken a drop too much of liquor this morning.'
"'Well I declare Lincoln,' said he, 'I should not much wonder if you are right, for he has nearly upset me half a dozen times since starting.' Putting his head out of the window he shouted, 'You scoundrel, you are drunk.'
"Upon which pulling up his horses and turning around with gravity, the driver said, 'Golly, but that's the first rightful decision your honor has given for the last twelve months.'"