, 1873-06-09

will presently be In q much botkor po9ltion than
ho waa boforo, while tho rich, and especially
rich corporations, will bo provided With much
needed curb to chook their graspin8 tendencies.
We do not porcoivo In this widely -prova1ont do
lusion any Communicate notions, for It Is easy
to ace that those who havo taken It
up would DO among tho frat to suffer
from D redistribution Of property. They
arc, for tho most part, forc-handod pcrsons-
thoao who haye Bavod something; who hago ac-
quired farms, horsos, ont.lo, Implements, oto
cunulattonB with those who havo eavcd nothing
as could A. T. Stewart or Commodore Vandor-
bilt. In fact, they could lesB afford 1t, because
IL Stewart and Vanderbilt were turned into tho
street to-day with only ton dollars apiece, their
experience, prudence, and skill (which arc not
subject to arbitrary digislon) would soon put
them in bottor positions than tho average.
Henco wo Ray that the motives aud impalsos
which lod to tho dofoat Of judge
Lawrence on account Of a decision
obnoxious to ignorant prejudice wero not Of
Communistio sort, although they havo aomo
resemblance thereto. Tho notion Ia, that II tho
administration Of juatico can DO overturned, or
suhordinatod to tho dooroes OF q town moosiug
(Which is tho same thing), then tho millennium
OF the poor man will come in-tho poor mnn be-
ing nlways In tho majority.
It may DO that thia vicious and uncivilfzod
notion will run its course until cured by contact
md collision with ono remarkable fact, viz,
that Inv and jurisprudence woro invented to
protect tho poor against tho rich, the
strong ngainst tho weak, tho ignorant
against tho cunning; that civilization con-
sists In nothing olso than In furnishing to
tho poor, tho weak, mud tho Ignorant the sanao
advantages legally which arc possessed by tho
rich, tho strong, and tho cunning naturally. In
tho timos when man WAS little more civilized
tlan tho gorlln, Ir. Darwin tells us that there
was o struggle for oxistcnce, and that tho
stronger and moro perfect specimens Of the raco
crushed out tho weaker md loss perfect. Itwas
not necessary for Mr. Dnrwin to tell us this, for
tho globe is coyorod with tho proofs OF it, wrtton
and unwritten. Those wero tho days when might
mado right,
"Erc human statute purg'd tho general wcal."
Whatever progresa mankind has made from
savage state has boon accomplished by substi-
tuting law for might, and putting into tho hands
OF tho humblest and weakest suitab1o and Hufi-
oiont machinery to obtain juBtico from the pow"
crful and unscrupulous, wherosooyor his rights
ara infringod upon. In tho course of agoa
thoro has grown up, In pursuance OF this COM
mon movement Of mankind, a code known aB tho
common law. This is tho code which q Chicago
newspaper declares Is unauted to tho people Of
Illinois, because 1t is tan outgrowth
Of monarchical institutions"t This is tho
code, for thorough knowledge and Impair
tial administration of winch Judge Law-
renee hns been driven from tho Bench.
1t happens that confidential attor-
ney Of tho Chicago, Burlington 4, Quincy
nairoad-one who Inns hold that relation for ten
years consecutively--h been substituted In his
| place. And here re find an illustration Of the
point with which wo began this article-that
when III the course OF human events It'll deanod
| necessary to oyerturn low and to substitute tho
dacrocs Of town meetings for the decisionB Of
| courts, the rich and powerful will take care Of
themselves, while tho poor and ignorant
| will not DO taken euro Of ut all.
There ia no fear Lhat any man posaosa-
ing hundred Thousand dollars will
| not DO vol protected undor such regime. All
his rights will be secure. Ho will Rttond to that
himself. To peddlo decisions for yotos is no
worso than to peddlo thom for money. Both
involve perjury. Both require that the
Judge shall Violate tho oath which he
takes to doal Justly and inapartially. To un-
dorstand how tho community would be situatod
in such case, just fanoy TINT all laws and
courta were abolished-for that ia what ia meant
by eleotng Judges to decide this way or that
way, according to tho real or supposed wishos Of
tho majority. 1t would bo much chonpor to
abolish tho laws and courts at onco, for that
would aaye tho salaries Of tho Judges, and
would como to the same thing In tho end. The
laws and courts boing abolished, who is
most likely to suffer Tho rich
can hire protection, the strong can protect thon-
selves, the cunning can oyade injury, while the
groat mass OF tho people must suffer every Bpo.
clca Of wrong md injury against which tho Law
now shields them, and on account Of which law
and its administration haye boon toilHonoly
wrought out during forty conturioaof tho worlds
history. Tho vory last to suffer from tho abol
ishmont Of laws md courts will DO tho imam
moth corporationB," whoae accumulated capital
armios OF servants, discipline, and adroitnoss oi
management will always socure to thou all thu
they aro ontitlod to LII my condition Of societ,
whore 1t IL possible for the mass Of mankind tt
maintain m existence.
There 10 rumor among the legal profession
Of this city TINT tho Supreme Judges hnve 70
viyed tho notion Of reslgniug which aomo o.
them seriously contemplated at the timo Judg.