The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-01-29
UPPER-CLAss TRADES UNIONS.

CHICAGO, Jan. q, 1876.
To the Editor u the %okhNaAAS's ADVOCATE
Sir In my last promised to give your
readers sketch of the trades unions Of
the upper classes Of England, Of the pres
ent day. In doing SO, will not quote
from any trades union journal Or labor
organ. l will give it as it was written in
Cassslrs Mdyusiae, 1867
One Uf the authorities mentioned IN my
last is made to read the Siber Albus;" /"
whereas it should be the Liber AIbus .
In dealing With the trades unions Of the
legal profession, the magazine above men
toned says:
The " bar consists of those 70 whom Gus
tom and tradition have assigned the monopoly
Of speaking and appearing in the law courts
Of the kingdom, III behalf Of all persons hav-
ing business IN them la order to obtain the
degree Of barristeI -at-law-without which i.
is practically impossible to appear as the legal
substitute of another III law court-it be-
hooves a man to become member of a great
society or union, which consists OF all the
members OF the higher branch Of the legal
ciaty or union, certain rules have to be OBJ
served, certain stipulations to be complied
with, without which, no matter how strong
the desire, how great the ability, how deep
the learning Of tine candidate, there is abso-
lutely no possibility Of entering. and there
fore Of pursuing that bent which nature seems
to have given q man, a. 4 to which education
may have fitted him. The first Of these rules
is that he shall become member of one Ct the
the Four Inns Of Court-institutions which
were founded for the study and practice Of
the Law, and each of which consists of agOver,
ing body called "The Benches" aud large
constituency Of barristers and students Each
Inn. or society, is bound by it's own rules,
and is quite independent Of the others, ex-
cept for certain purposes which all have in
common.
Thus it il cardinal rule, common to all
the Inns, that no one who is III trade, even
though he be not actively engaged III it. can
be permitted to enter. The same objection
is made to any one practlcing in any other
branch Of the legal profession, whether at
tOrney, attorneys clerk, or barristers cler 4.
The merchant or the workman WHO. making
tile study OF law his amusement, or wishing
to keep to his trade as a means of
subsistence till sufficient study has
fitted him to seek subsistence in the practice
Of the Law, should desire to enter at one Of
the four Inns, or societies, through which
alone the barrister's monopoly may he OBJ
tanned would find himself shut out. The
rule is clearly one restraining individual lib
erty, and having a material effect upon both
capital and labor.
How the Chicago Tribune and Times
would roar, with affected indignation, at
the stonecutters if they had OF supported
such a rule as this in their association.
How the Times would come out with edi-
torials calling these men bummers, dead
beats, scalawags and penitentiary candi-
dates, which it it has called them; but this
is rule of highly educated and legal
profession. Hence it is we hear nothing
of them from from these partisan aud
slandering journals.
Another rule is, that no one shall be ad-
mitted without giving an elaborate state
ment. which il the basis Of agreement
between the benchers and himself, and b7
which he must stand or fall, showing who
he is, what his parents were, Of what oc-
cupation he is at at the time OF proposing
to enter the uulon, and containing a declar-
alton that be is not in trade, or Ill any way
engaged in the practice Of the law. la
addition to this, the candidate, if a membt Z
of university, must pay sum Of money
amounting t. about fifty pounds $3.50; If
not = member of q university, sum Of
about one hundred and nifty pounds $3.50 to
the society ne seeks to join. The extra one
hundred mounds is reuuirs q Of nor nm yersity
men under the pretense Of {" caution" money
Finally, it is necessary that a Bsncher, or two
barristers, should sign paper recommending
the candidate as . tit person to be admitted
to the society. An examination, framed more
for the purpose of testing whether the candi-
date has received what is called " liberal
edEcation, than Of gauging his knowledge Of
Law, is to be undergone ~ the hands OF ex-
sminers appointed by the Common Council
Of the Four Inns. Another rule, which IN
% nnbendiDg that disregArd II is, no matter
ON what excuse, except severe illness, delays
the time when the student can become q barras-