Thaddeus Stevens gets clever with a Pennsylvania judge.

>When [Thaddeus Stevens](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Thaddeus_Stevens_-_Brady-Handy-crop.jpg) was a young lawyer, he once had a case before a bad-tempered judge of an obscure Pennsylvania court. Under what he considered a very erroneous ruling, the case was decided against him. The judge assumed an air of offended majesty, and asked Stevens if he meant to “express your contempt for this court.” >Stevens turned to him very politely, made a respectful bow, and feigned amazement. “Express my contempt for this court? No, sir. I am trying to conceal it, Your Honor, but I find it damned hard to do.” ___________________________ **Source:** Humes, James C. *Speaker's Treasury of Anecdotes About the Famous*. New York: Harper & Row, 1978. 123. Print. ___________________________ **Further Reading:** [Thaddeus Stevens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaddeus_Stevens)