Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-09-15
Wauted-some Practical Men.


Wanted-SOme Practical Men.
There is an abundance Of talent IN
Congress but g lack Of practice! states
manship. The talent is too transcen-
dental for the business in hand. We
. believe it was Geo. d. Prentice who
made the remark once that great
many lawyers knew too much law
,, to be clear in their notions OF justice.
. They were confused and confounded
by a multitude of different rules,
. being much in the predicament q
J.nc rustfc wnU complained OF not
being able to see London for the
houses. The most Of our legislators
are lawyers, and though many of
them are excellent in that profession,
and some of our best statesmen be-
long thereto, yet it would be well if
we had a few more men in Congress
than we have who can tell the Prov
from the stern of a ship, a yacht from
canal-boat, and, generally, who
have q practical knowledge of prac-
tical affairs.
We have recently had examina-
tons into the causes of the decay Of
our commercial marine. 1t Is but
the truth Of history to declare that
practical ship-builders were amazed
at the notable ignorance Of members
OF Congress in respect to the great
interest Of which those ship-buildcrs
were representatives. When told
that American ships had sold the
copper sheathing Of their bottoms in
this country, returning to Europe
without any metallic protection,
members we're incredulous. When
told thai the mere cost Of building
steamship was only small part Of
the matter, the annual repairs and
running expenses being prodigious-
more than the cost Of the vessel
members were as If thunder-stTs!cS.
I
with ocean navigation.
| Now it is not very difficult for men
Of brains to inform themselves upon
such subjects. That statesman who
did most for the renown OF the
American navy during the recent
war; who did most to make possible
the illustriOus achievements Of Far
ragut, Foote, Dupont, lived a thou
sand miles from the ocean-Scnator
Grimes, of Iowa. When appointed
to position on the Naval Commit
tee, Ae not eHl y # studied naval affairs
| theoretically, but practically. lie
read all that was TO be read upon the
subject, and he gained Invaluable
information from visits to navy
yards and ship-buiIding docks, talk
ing with intelligent foremcn and
workmcn.
What is true as to the ignorance Of
many nf our legislators on naval
affairs and ocean navigation, includ-
ing foreign commerce, Is true in
respect to other matters of no less
Importance TO the people. The fact
is shown bya large number Of useless
or positively injurious laws. We
have too much law as the result of
too many lawyers. Without under
estimating the value to the country
of such lawyers in Congress as Sena-
tor Trumbull, of Illinois, for instance,
il is perfectly clear to all who have
reflected upon the subject that n
pressing want Of the times Is more
practical men, more men having a
knowledge Of the practical operations
Of agriculture, trade, commerce,
manufacture, railways, tho settle
ment of the public domain, etc, than
we now have, or, indeed, have ever
had. These transccndental legisla-
tors are the relics Of former genera
ton, and ought to be brushed out OF
the Chicago Post.