Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-05
How We Suffer from the Rub~ -,
LAWYERS vi

out OF the 29a members of TIE last House NJ
Representa-. yes, 209 were Law ,prSi In rho Son
ale The proportion OF law, trs is probably ever
'Irg-r. Go TO Albany, or any of the other Stat1
Capitals, and We w. Al lind the LAWYERS controIl.
ing the state 5 legislature, and a lawyer ia the
executive chair. We are ruled by the LAWYERS
That single profession constitutes the privileged
class which runs the governmental machine
With all our talk about popular sovereignty.
this country is practically ruled by an oligarchv
and that ollgaIchy composed OF lawyers. We
have seen that the lawyers numbered 30 pei
cent. OF the members OF the last House. The
beggarly balance was distributed among farm
cTS. merchants, manufacturers, professors, eli
lois, doctors, bankers and business men ge1er-
ely. But the lawyers, OF course. had thing,
entirely their own way, just as they always have
in all our legislative bodies.
What is the result OF this lawyer monopoly inf
tie ruling bodies? Just what might have been
expected; the laws made more and more fntri-
cate, more and more past the understanding OF
iaymeD, more and more promOtiye of litigation
more and more in the interests OF the LEGAL pro-
LESSON and against the interests OF everybody
else: we are not blaming the lawyers; they
are human like the rest of Us. They live bv liti-
Sallon, and it IS perfectly natural that. with the
entire laW-maklng machinery in their hands
they should frame legislation with a view TO
making as much business for their guild as pos
SIDE and making their fees for doing the same
as large as possible. Self-intereSt leads them ,
conc llcate the law as much as possible, where
slmpllflcation might be fatal TO their business
While the prices OF all other commodities hav .
been going down, lawyers charges are highe
than ever.
Tie lawyers have been trying their hands a.
running this government for many years. All
other professions and trades have stood aside
While the lawyers experimental with the great
questions of finance and currency and tariff
We see now what botch they have made of IT,
Is IL not time for change! Let the lawyers
call in the counsel and aid OF the business men
and see what the result will be. We have
reached the practical stage: the great question
OF the hour is how 10 regain prosperity
bow to revive our depressed business. Shall
we send lawyers TO settle such questions or
shall we send men OF business TO work out the
problem? In matters OF business. business men
are generally thought to be the best authority.
There are. as We have seen. altogether too
many lawyers in Congress. They are our rul-
ing class As rulers they have not made very
brilliant success of it. They are getting Us
deeper and deeper into the miTe-and thereby
increasing more and more the demand for the
services OF themselves. Give us at least a
Sprinkling OF business men in the next Congress
linen whose action will be guided by the lamp
OF experience, men with practical knowledge
OF the wants Of the country and what is re-
Qulred TO meet those wantS.-TSyJacuS Couric,
A NEW POLAR ISLASD.-The discovery OF
new Island IN the Polar seas Is announced by
the following telegram from TrOmS0: e
JohanneSSen, who has just returned there re-
ports that he penetrated considerable dis
lance TO the east, beyond Novaja Zemlja. On
September sd, in longitude 66 deg east and
latitude 4. deg. 80 min. north. he discovered an
island which he has named 'EnSomheden' done
lnessl. 1t is about ten miles long and level.
the highest point not exceeding one hundred
1eet. Ii was Tree from snow, with poor We Teta-
ton. but an immense quantity of birds. The
sea was free from ice toward the west, north
and SOUTH but drift ice was seen toward the
southeast. There was evidence that the Gulf
stream touched the west coast OF the island:
the stream runs in strong current round the
north coast toward the southeast. Everything
about the Ice was favorable for navigation 50
long as the vessel did not 60 too near the MAIN
land OF Siberia The newly discovered island
lies, therefore. somewhat TO the southeast OF
that region visited by the Austrian expedition
Of 1S13-4.-t LOndon Times