Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-09-19

lie usually turns polltlclanI or Mes
to some pursuits where pure unman-
~ cunning and concef lment are re-
warded The loud and blowing law
yer, always man Of small ability.
and less law knowledge, is usually
servlceable only in getting up suits
for the higher class la gyers to carry
through, or the judge to suppress
Every county has a quota OF such,
and formerly Grant county had an
excess. Very muck depends upon
the Judge AS TO whether such may
carry on large or small business
This class of lawyers frequently get
into office, and are always heard
from as objects of disgust and con-
tempt-if not as the agents of rascal
ity and receivers of brides if virtu-
GUS it is for want OF an opportunity.
The unpopular lawyer is usually q
positive man, sometimes selfish, but
usually most emphatic, manly man,
undisguisiDg, never a panderer or
sycophant,a and too free in dealing out
his opinions. He rarely goes to the
Legislature, but when he does is a
very useful member and is to be
credited as the father of several Of
the best laws. A squirt or upstart is
usually his successOr-sent up pre-
haps as n mark OF popular contempt
toward an unpopular but true man.
We would not however be under~
stood as claiming that unpopularity
is virtue, or even All unerriGg mark
of virtue. All men should aim at be-
ing reasonably popular by all manly,
genial and prudent means, but
never at the expense of the manly
virtues.
Indeed man's duty to himself,
friends and the public is to acquire
merited popularity, so that he can be
useful in all the parts of service for
which he is qualified and the further
duty of every man is to qualify him
self as highly as his talents will all
low.
Aspiring men are often justly uu-
popular. Their private life and prac-
tice may be as bad as possible, and
nothing in the way Of worse but
the tcrrors OF public opinion. Cheats
by nature, yet aspirants, they natur-
aiig resort To talsehoOd and dissimul-
alton, which practice only deooives
some, the best people naturally resist
ing their aspirations. Depopulariz-
ing such men is the duty Of AL good
men
Bat we were speaking of positive
aud negative lawyers, and have to
add that these opposing properties
have q great deal To do in furnishing
the lawye rs with clients. Some men
are so extremely negative that they
are slaves to fear: naturally roguish,
they are yet made quite honest and
respectable by their fear OF the laws
They pay their debts, and abide by
their contracts quite well indeed, IN
less in cases where they can creep
out without any danger Of legal pros
ecution. Such men rarely patronizo
lawyers, unless it be in matters in
which their timidity suggests legal
consultation. Except for this class
the people could do without law for
compelling the payment of debts and
the enforcement of contracts Tho
numbers of such are large the mon
generally carry an exterior Of re-
spectability, and they are often relig-
ious from motives Of fear Of the di-
vine law and penalties
Some men are SO positively cons.i-
tuted as to love and seek the uncer
tainties Of legal appeal and these
furnish very good practice for the
lawyers, though such are often i'm
poverishcd by their own appetite for
law, as to DO the poorest clients. The
best lawyer can do with such, is to
gradually absorb their homesteads ia
exchange for conducting their many
itigati0ns. We can however only
defend this practice by sort Of brig
and argument, that as the man is
bound to be absorbed by some law
yer, one has just as much right to alb
sorb his estate rs another therefore
it is right. Such logic is but too often
used in other pursuits as an apology
for all shades Of swindling. In some
states guardians may be appointed
for men of that class, for the benefit
Of their families same as in other
kinds of monomania
Formerly the mining classes were
singularly inclined for the law, as
remedy. Perhaps never a more posi-
tive class of characters anywhere ex-
listed. Their poeitiveness or DISPOSE
tions to strike, their independently Of
nature and love for adventure, with
tho same constitutional elements
which in the classes of lower grade
lead to gambling, led them to seek
the then far west aud take to mining.
its very uncertainties being to them
most stimulating attraction. AT
another time we hope To present the
peculiarities Of this class, and to say
much "a to their character, conduct
and influence in early times when
mining was the leading pursuit ia tho
south western counties Of Wisconsin
In many respects the miners were n
noble and generous people, and they
were oftener the victims than the
vIctimizers of the legal sharks who
basely sought their graces only for
their money. We have known the
time when two-thirds Of the suits
| appearing on the docket of Lancas-
ter court were mineral suits, and tho
remaining third generally cases Of
crime in which the state was party
against the miners The law was
then iourishing pursuit, and the
lawyers with few exceptions were
such as would now be reckoned
fourth rate or more likely be degrad.
ed from practice for bad manners
excessive moanncss or want of legal
knowledge.
We notice here some singular
truths which ought to be a warning.
even to some Of the present fraterni
ty OF lawyers in Grant county, es-
pecially such as are 1T tho start SOW