Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-10
STEER CLEAR OF THE PROVES
SIGNAL.
Not the Mission OF Democracy TO Pose as an
Advocate OF the Lawyer.

Not the Miseion OF Democracy TO Pose as an
Advocate of the Lawyer.
KELLER, TEX, oct. 9.
To the Editor OF the Gazette;
Owing to the effects Of the late drought
have been so deeply concerned in pri-
vate affairs that 1t has been impossible for
me to take an active part in the present
campaign; yet, as a lcoker-on, can not
avoid deprecatipg the course Tarrant poll
tics are taking. Personal wrangles and
side Issues, which never accomplish any
thing save to engender prejudice between
different classes, are being brought into
this fight, and loaded on the shoulders of
Democracy with the expectation of being
supported by It, When in the committee
room OF our county convention objected
to the last article in the platform, because
| thought 1t came with i'll grace for us TO
pass upon the Democracy Of the Knights
OF Labor when we were putting ticket in
the feld against them. Though showed
under there, | yet think that article
unnecessary, or. at least superfluous.
But since that convention our
Democratic organs have been
called on for space for those who cham
pioned the cause Of the bankers and their
kinsiolk, for those who were disaffected
with the alliance, and last but not least,
! the much abused lawyer has come
forward to prove his profession respecta-
BILE. l, for one, protest against the great
Democratic party enlisting In this side
show TRADE against social chickering's.
The Knights crusade against the lawyers
| is like Don Quixote's encounter with the
windmills; an enormous outrage, no
doubt, but not within the jurisdiction of
our great party. An elephant is a
dangerous beast in fair and open com
bat, yet few little insects can throw him
in rage and cause him to lash himself
to death; so, too, II the great Democratic
party challenges every insignificant slur
thrown against its various classes, 1t
will frltter away its strength with the
sbarp-shooters, while the main body of
the enemy will come In and spoil our
camp.
1t is an old maxim that ole who
/ pleads his own cause has fool for a
counsellor so 1t seems to me little
impertinent in the lawyer himself taking
up the cudgle when his case is being
weighed in the great scales of public
opinion. He should await the verdict
with that patient fortltude that char
acterlzed the old darkey during the late
unpleasantness. When asked by a
Gorilla captain which side he was on,
the old negro replied: You see,
NASSAU, you folks is like two dogs dat see
a bone. Each of you want 1t, and so you
got in a fight about it,"
"Well," said the captain, (Which side
are you going to takep"
"Oh | don't take either side, you see
Use de bone, oh no, aint In de fight"
Let the lawyer consider himself the
bone and await the verdict of the people.
II his profession is legitimate the people
will uphold him, II not he must go. But
| apprehend that we have enough to do
at present, wrestling with the enemy,
without taking on any extra sand-bags
to keep US from flying too high.
Again, sir, the lawyer is dual charac-
ter. He leads two distinct lives. First
he plies his craft like other artisans; Sec
ond, nlnety-nine cases out of 100 he is q
professional politician. Now the knights
have cunningly struck This breast
works from the weakest side. They are
pouring hot shot into him as political
manipulation, while he as astutely defends
his cause from professional standpoint.
Now l think both, in measure,
right. As an advocate for JUS
tice, or as often, pleader to de-
feat justice, the lawyer seems to be
necessary evil, but as a politician ne is
unquestionaoly nuisance. | do not
mean that as a candidate for office he is
so bad, ioF whether you want good
measure or a bad one put through, he Is
often the most available instrument at
your command. But where | object to
him is In our conventions, or fights among
ourselves for the spoils. Here, II YOU adj
init hun at all, he should be chained,
gagged and bllnd-folded, otherwise he is
sure to 60 of when least expected, and
strike you at your most vul-
nerable point had sooner try
to dodge the Malay's boomerang
than to try to fence against the put-up
Jobs OF the conventlon-lawYer. Yet when
| have bout with him In a political
scramble and get downed (Which always
happens) have q profound admiration
for the way In which he did It, Like the
boy who has been vict!mized by new
trick In wrestling, console myself with
saying, "you can't do 1t again.
Now, Mr.. Editor, say as | have heard
several OF the gentlemen under review
remark concerning the utterances of your
most valuable defender OF our faith, that
1t is not the mission of Democracy to
pose as an advocate OF the LAWYER. |
} know that these thrusts at this most SEN
/ sltive, yet highly respectable class OF gem
, tlemen are calculated To make one chafe,
for they are like the strokes of sting
ing lizard, not hard, but very penetra-
ting; yet they are not dangerous. Let us
) remember that Napoleon by trying to fight
Butcher and Wellington at the same time
lost his crown IN the memorable Waterloo
contest, and In this equally great en-
I counter in our beloved Tarrant, IL we
1 stake our chances ON upholding this woe
fully prosecuted class, | fear we will
waste our strelgth in the attempt to
charge the enemg's campfire, while the
= said enemy may aank us from the rear.
4 No, SIR If the lawyers craft has drifted
from Its mooringS let him appear before
the great bar Of public justice, prospect
! i've OF politics, ami show cause why he
, should not cease ID exist but let Dem
ocray steer as clearpf his ranges as a boy
would OF yellow-jcket, which all boys
know to be combatiye at both ends; and,
strike him how you nay, there is nothing
to gain and much to l(se. JACK YATES.
Very Iikaa Man