Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-04
Opposition of Dark Lanternites 10 Law
yers Irrational,

Opposition of Dark Lanternites 10 Law.
yers Irrational.
To the Editor OF the Gazette.
II there is one thing more than another
that shows the intolerance and narrow
mindedness OF the so-called Gnt.monopo-
lists, otherwise known as Dark-L Lantern
ties, IL is their indiscrlminate denuncia-
tion of lawyers. Their position, carried
to it's logical results, assumes that the
profession of the law Is debasing, for ii
they do not proceed on that assumption,
why do their speakers and their news
papers so often indulge in TRADES against
the lawyers. An uniformed person
might suppose from their utter
ances thet TO be lawyer
is an atroclous crime. o
That their attempted depreciation of
the legal fraternity Is not only unjust, but
also irrational, may easily be showni and
on this subject we propose to submit a
few views. In q political society where
controversies are adjusted by right, and
not by might, rules OF conduct must ex-
list. These rules OF action are called
laws, having In view the ascertalnment
and vindicaton Of what is right and the
prevention of the commission OF wrongs.
AS u nitAuc Anl bAlt AbbolnmSub Va bHBhG
objects, those who have committed wrongs
must be compelled to make redress
to those who have suffered there
from, and in many cases the wrong doors
must, for the safety OF society, be sub
iected TO punishment for their misdeeds
That body OF men, trained for the bust
ness, Is necessary to assist in the admin
istration of justice, that liz, in the enforce
ment of the laws provided for securing
the ends OF justice, all intelligent men
will concede. And the more advanced
the state Of society the greater the need
for men who have, by course OF study,
prepared themselves to grRpple with
the intricate questions that arise
out of the various transactions OF
human life One of the most eminent Of
living jurists, Judge Cooley of Michigan,
has said: "The increase of intelligence,
and especially the new inventions aud
improvements which follow 1t, have
powerful tendency in the direction of
creating new wants and desires, and of
establishing people in new occupations,
and as these increase, the interests, the
desires and passions Of men must neces-
sarily breed more frequent controver-
sizes" In the same connection he pro-
ceeds TO show that every recognition
by the law OF new right is
likely TO raise questions Of its
adjustment to, and harmony with, exist
Ing rights previously enjoyed by others;
so that honest people must frequently
honestly differ as to their respective
rights Without celebrating the idea ex-
pressed by Judge Cooley, 1t may safely be
asserted that so long as human nature re-
mains as II Is just so long viii contro-
yarcfaa ariaa antnnu man and fnutrouar
sizes in civilized communities must be set
tied in the courts; and a resort to the
courts necessarily brings into requisitlon
the services of lawyers. So important
has the assistance of counsel to persons
charged with crime been deemed, that
the constitution of the United States and
the constitutions OF all the states guaran-
tee 20 them the aid Of counsel In their
defense. IL may be observed that II is
equally important to the state TO have
counsel to assist In bringing offenders TO
Justice. While life and liberty are TIC
precious to be weighed against money,yet
II is well known that the complications Of
cases OF q civil nature require higher
degree OF learning than is necessary In
criminal cases, which usually involve
merely contested issues Of fact.
Some Of the foregoing OBJ
servations may be considered unnec-
essay In this day and generation, and
doubtless they are, 80 far as most people
are concerned; but when the iconociastic
hands OF those who are endeavoring TO
destroy time .honored existing Institu.
lions are raised TO strike, brief recur-
renee 70 a few established principles
may not be Judged uncalled for, But let
us pass on TO few other considerations
showing the unreRsonableness OF the at
tempted detraction from lawyers. A ma
jority of the lawyers at the Fort Worth
bar, and in fact, Of the bars all over the
South, have either worked on farms
themselves or they are the sons
Of men who titled the soil
to earn a. livelihood. That