The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-02-26
Lawyers Not Legislators.

The following are John Meals no-
tons of lawyers as Legislators and
public officers; and they certainly
contain many things and thoughts
which are worth noti.e and consid
Grafton Mr.. Neal is no mincer Of
words when be takes a subject in
hand;
We have had enough and more
than enough, of profession; of pros
fessional arrogance, Of professional
insoleoee. Of professional monopoly,
and in plain English of professions
al ignorance, imbecity and preten-
sion. Il is high time tor the PEG
pic to attend TO their own business.
| am no enemy TO my brethern o.
the har--as men | give them credit
Tor all they are worth. and more,
too, as class But | would en-
courage "a wholesome watchfulness-
a reasonable jealousy; for | do
insist upon it, that they enjoy alto
gether too mach power They
moanpolize the whole sovereignty
of this land. At one and the same
time, they are the Legislative pow
er, and the executive power They
| make the laws, they interpret the
laws-and they carry those very
laws into execution; occupying
abont every office of trust and pow
err, worth having, from the higheat
to the lowest in the whole country.
| 90 further; | maintain that mas
much as the lawyers Of these Uni
ted States do Of themselves cOnsti-
tute the sole governing power; they
are in every sense Of the word, not
an aristocracy, for that were harms
less in comparison, but an Oigar-
chy, though an elective oligarchy;
the people having the liberty to
choose their masters from among
them. and that is all. The ms
chiefs are incalculable too. much
aws-lawS wholly unintelIigible to
the people-incapahle of applica-
ton to the great business of life
till after having been made by law
yers-they have been solemnly ar
gued by lawyers-before LAWYERS
and sOlemnly decided by lawyers;
and every step at the charge of the
people; ever shifting legislations-
everlasting speeches and everlast~
ing sessiOns-and all at the charge
Of the people, the whole business of
the country being put off to the last
few days of the session, and then
hudd!ed through with a profigat
shamelessness, utterly dishearten-
ing 10 the man Of business. the
creditors Of the government and the
people at large, and utterly dis
| graceful t" the country. Most i'm.
portant bills either wholly over
looked in the pfgeon-hOles of State
or passed hap hazard like so many
| patch work resolutions al town
meeting in the open air, under q
high wind, or heavy rain. Give
| the lawyers all the power they are
entitled too, even little more, and
| as one Of them shall he the last tC
| complain. Acknowledge their tai
erts, their education, their expert.
encc and their modesty, if you will
but do not give them all power; de-
not make that one profession, the
law, a highway. acd the only high
way tc dominion; and the gift OF
the CAB the only qualification
Have an eye to business and you
are sefe. They enjoy now and
must always enjoy the whole judi
ciary power which is equal TO ore
third of the whole sovereign, power
even if excluded from the IegisIa-
tive and executive. And if one
power OF the country will not sat-
isty them, consisting as they do not
a thousanth part of our whole pop
uiation-whaJ will satisfy them;
and where will they stop. Choose
men of business; plain straight for
ward practical men Of business, but
little given to speech m aking doors
rather than takers, and your bust
ness will be done. And why; sim p
" because The business men best
understand the value of time, and
have the least to throw away upon
legislative trifing. The Halls OF
Congress-thc Legislative Halls OF
the several States throughout the
whole country, are at this time lit
tie better than so many debating
schools, for the fedgling of the law
Tor those who would rather make
speeches for the newspapers than
mind their own business either at
home or abroad