Morning journal and courier., 1881-11-19

In accordance with the object the Society for Political Education has proposed to it. self, it has issued, as number four of it's pam phlet publications, small tract on the sub- ject of the usury laws This little tract will supply long-felt want, for treatisss on the | usury laws are not accessible to the public. The letters of Jeremy Bentham and the es- say of Turgot are buried in the complete works of these writer's and the best writings of less known economists on this subject have usually been issued as pamphlets, and it is therefore difficult, if not impossible, to ob- tain them. This issue by the society con- tains, first, an abridgment of Jeremy Ben tham's letters, which have not suffered by the abridgment; second, the more import ant sections of 8 letter by John Calvin on usury, which possesses more historic than economic value; third, speech by Hen. Richard H. Dana, jr., in the Massachusetts Senate, which embodies clear and compre- hensive exposition of the subject; and, fourth, brief notice by David A. Wells on the present status of the usury laws in the United States, which contains some new and suggestive statements regarding the effect of these laws.
 A writer in the Chicago Inter- Ocean thinks that there are too many lawyers engaged in the management of our public affairs. All our affairs which come under the head of ''the comity of nationss' are, he says, con- ducted by lawyers. They constitute three fourths of both houses of Congress, the dip lomatic corps, and the thirty eight Legisla- lures in the same ratio. They are the lead ing guild, and embody the substance of the authority of the nation. It is not so in Eu- rope. They have educated, non professional men who exert and assume their proper share of national responsibility. We are the eE" ception. Hence, the fact and the result is that we are, ostensibly, nation of lawyers. They enjoy the undisputed possession of all the law making power, and, thence, the dis pensation of their own laws to the entire public. The writer does not have very high opinion of the American lawyer. He says: ''The average lawyer is by no means educated man. I rely on my information that not exceeding one-third of the praeticirg bar can prove classical scholar ship. Hence their present status rests large ly upon assumption. This again proves fools for knaves to play upon. This masterly as sumption, coupled with what they glean from between the sheep binding of law books, comprises their only stock in trade" The article concludes as follows: "Our succeed jug Congresses and Legislatures should be swayed by educated business men, such as subtle professionals cannot extinguish in de- bate, nor swerve through craftiness. The in- tellects of professionals are 'sharpened but not enlarged'-ftted only for politicians, not statesmen. When the majesty of the people shall arise to the situation, take the matter earnestly in hand, and shall correct this real but less apparent evil, then intelligence will supply the place of prejudice, and the full blessings of peace, honor, and added progress will rest and abide within and upon the grand republic, and rancorous party conflict will have been trodden out" This writer's way of putting his case is extravagant, and in some respects unjust, but what he says is worth thinking of.