The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-04-05

citizen of any other vocation o. profes-
sion obtains with no little difficulty. 1t
ought TO be admitted without lengthy de-
bate, il lawyers are the best law makers that
the United States ought to have better laws
than any other country, bat such is not the
case; hence the conclusion of the St Louis
Republican, that "a successful law
yer is not necessarily Trustworthy
expounder of the principles of law,
nor well fitted by his nature or experience
to be law-maker. The men who make the
laws of a country should be endowed with a
strong sense OF justice, a clear perception of
right and wrong, full appreciation of the
value of simplicity of expression and direct
ness of bearing, and an experience in the
pratical relations of communities and indi-
viduals towards each other. The technical
knowledge of the forms of law could be sup
piled by Commission of three lawyers if
there were not a single member of the legal
latures; and il is probable that legal skill
employed after this fashion would produce
a more compact and less complicated system
OF laws thar come from large mum GER of
technical and verbose lawyers. Practice in
public speaking is the most common intro
duction of the lawyer into public life, bur
it is certainly one of the most useless Incl
dents in the framing of good laws. The
bankers merchants, manufacturers and
farmers have more at stake in the equity of
laws than the lawyers have, and their pur-
suits should produce men who are much
better fitted than lawyers to determine what
rules shall govern them in their dealings.
Even the class set down as professional poll
ticians have better qualifications for law
making than are brought to the work by
professional lawyers, If the former study
the duties OF the publicist without being
practical business men OF the country held
the control of all our law-making bodies,
there would doubtless be less extravaganza
in the administration of the Government and
more common sense justice in the rules
imposed for the regulation OF society"
Aside from the fact that lawyers
are better equipped than any other class OF
citizens for public speaking. their profes
sion brings them more prominently before
the public than any other. They discuss
laws. legal rights and privileges in which
every citizen has an interest As a conse-
quence, the more learned of the profession |
lay hold upon fundamental principles of
government, enter the realms of statesman
ship, not for the purpose, primarily, of be-
coming politicians, but because their pro-
fession necessarily leads them to the study |
of such subjects; hence, when the people
want representative in the Legislature or
in Congress, it is not surprising that they look /
to the legal profession for their candidates.
The merchant, banker, doctor, manufac-
turer may be profoundly versed in his voca-
ton, bat the lawyers profession leads him
into fields of study and thought which sue
cess in other pursuits does not necessarily
demand. If change is required, so that in
Congress and our legislative bodies the mum
Der OF lawyers shall be reduced and other
vocations lave larger representation, mer-
chants. bankers, farmers, mechanics and
must in future seek to I'M
lerstand, not only such questions as partic-
llarly relate to their special callings, but
prepare themselves by patient study to dis
,uss thoroughly all other questions which
'elate to the general welfare. Until this is
lone lawyers will continue to preponderate
L all Of our legislative bodies.