Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-03
The goyeotting Troubles.


article chiefly to encourage discussion as
remedy in place Of violence, for
feel that patient public may very well
cry out that it has had enough from me.
First. As to what a" Garland y has to
say Of coupons answer that the Con-
stitution of the United States, which is
TIE supreme law of this and all the
other States, guarantees to every per-
son the right to pay his taxes with eou-
pons. and if several persons conspire
together to prevent any person from
paying his taxes with coupons, in my
Judgment they are guilty Of conspiracy
TO prevent citizen from exercising his
legal right. 1t is needless to refer
specially to the several illustrations put
by " Garland" You cannot indict the
Democratic party" for if there be
such thing it is an entity so vague
and shadowy that the law cannot lay
its hands upon it. But wherever spe-
cifc parties can be found who have con-
spired against some other specific party
so that the law can know with certainty
the persons it is dealing with, it would,
in my judgment, be conspiracy for
several to attempt to prevent one from
exercising his lawful right to pay his
taxes with coupons.
Garland's" argument concerning
coupons amounts only to an attempt to
show that my reasoning would make
persons conspirators who acted in con-
cert to prevent taxpayer from using
coupons; and l concede that it does.
But that does not break the force Of the
argument-it only makes it the worse
for those conspiring against the tax
payers. So far as concerns the publ
cation Of the names Of those who used
coupons | reply that | should have
been proud to have my name on the
list, for do pay my taxes with cou-
pons. But | look on the animus which
inspired this publication as one of the
most outrageous possible efforts to bull
doze citizens out Of their rights under
the law. do not claim that or my
clients have been kind and considerate
to Virginia. claim that ! have always
done my duty to her and that they ask
only justice from her.
Second. "Garland" could not gain
admission into a bar association until
he had studied law sufficiently long and
had learned enough of it to cause two
judges to certify. after an examination
Of him, that he had sufficient know
ledge Of the law to conduct a clients
cause through a court Of justice from
the point of Issuing the writ to satisfy
ing sn execution. Nor could Gar
land be admitted to the bar so As to
have the right to offer for practice until
he could stand this examination and re-
ceive this certificate. The reason is
this: The law is com plicated. With
the shifting stages of society the laws
shift so as to suit themselves to
new phases. Old laws are repealed
and new ones are added. The citizen
who is occupied with printing or manu-
featuring has his whole time engrosSed
with his own business, and it is simply
impossible for him to attend to his own
business and also keep up with the
changes in the law which are being con-
stantly made, or even to know it as it
was when he commenced business, sup
posing that he could have known it
then. This has made it necessary that
there shall be a class of citizens who
shall give their entire attention to a
study Of the law. The client, then, being
ignorant Of the law, and the lawyer pro-
Tossing that he knows it. the client has
to depend blindly for securing his rights
upon his lawyer. 1t is obvious that if
the lawyer is really lawyer his client
will receive justice, but that if he is
a charlatan or pretender the clients
interests must suffer. The lawyers
profession is one that touches the pub
lie. He holds out to the public that he
is one who can take the place of any
one Of that public so as to secure that
person his rights under state of facts
under which that person would be UNI
able to secure his rights for himself.
1t is right, therefore, that the
State should require the lawyer to
qualify himself for the delicate
and difficult task that he is going to
assume, and that she should take pro-
per precautions by examinations to see
to it that he who offers to serve the
public in this capacity is able to serve
it. The principle which justiGes it is |
the principle upon which all inspection
laws rest. But this is not so Of the
printer. He does not undertake to per-
form public service. lie goes to
particular employer and says, - can
do the work you want done" The en-
ployer tries him, and if he finds he can
do it he retains him. If he finds he
cannot he discharges him. Now. ! say
that printer should have the right to get
from his employer whatever the EN-
ployer thinks he is worth, and whatever
the printer can demonstrate to his en-
ployer by suggestions, new devices. en-
ira work, superior diligence, &C., that
he can be worth to him. So the law
yer, after he has received the States
certificate that he is competent to act
as lawyer, should have the right to
receive from his client whatever he can
demonstrate to that client that his SER
vices are worth to him. No bar asso-
citation, so far as | know, attempts to
fix the prices that lawyers shall
charge for the services, and if
any did should condemn it as
emphatically as | condemn the
principle of trades unions. The bar
associations are established solely to
act as sort Of police to the bar-to
keep a watch over the conduct Of law
yers, and have such expelled from the
bar as would betray clients trust. If
" Garland " had the States certificate
that he was qualified to act as a lawyer
he could gain admission into any bar
association, provided he could show, as
have not the slightest doubt he could,
that he was person Of good moral
character. The difference, then, be-
tween the Bar Association and the Ty-
Union is that the Bar Asso-
at~ L. L. L II !