The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1886-04-17
Farrners VS.. Lawyers.

encing a general depression IN busi-
ness they seek for some real or
cause from which to trace
the depression. We find IN our own
State at present an example of this
truth, Our State, and In fact 1t is true
of all sections Of our country, is ex-
perioncing, and has experienced for
several years, general depression in
every business in which our citizehs
are engaged. From this condition of
afInirs certain class of our citizens
have traced the cause, and have organ
lied into what is called the farmers'
movement to relieve themselves Of the
evil. In this instance. they seek to 10y |
at the door Of tho lawyers tho cause |
Of the general business depression of
our State, and in an open letter ono of
our most prominent citizens has gone
so far as to charge that our State Is
ruled by an "oligarchy of lawyers"
This is the pith Of tho complaint, says
the author of the article referred to,
and is too plain to be denied. Do the
facts warrant the asscrtion2 We take
1t to be fact that since tho Democratic
party camc into power In tho State, a
majority of the members Of tho Legis-
lature have 6csn farmers. and that III
the Senate they have had In most cases
All actual majority, and in every in-
stance majority over any other pro-
~ %l,to 1,n tNI,n houn
controlled the proceedings Of the Gen.
oral Assembly, and possessed the
power to pass or defeat any measure
brought before that body. Once this
is truo, the only conclusion which can
be drawn is that they arc responsible
for tho laws which haze been passed
since 1876, and are accountable to the
people of the State for tho administra-
tion of the government. IF this con-
dition Of affairs has existed wo ure UNI
willing to admit that minority Of tho
General Assembly could control the
government, and rs a consequence IL
could not have been controlled by the
lawyers. But, further, Captain Nc
'rs>IncI-in admits that no charge Of cor.
ruption or maIudnnIesrhrrtii~ can pe /
mado, and rs he cites 10 instance of
laws which have been passed by the
Legislature, detrimental or IN any
way prejudicial to tho rights Of tho
farmers and in the interest Of tho law
yers, we take it for granted that no
such have been passed. Where, then,
Is the just ground for tho complaint
that the State il ruled by oil oligarchy |
Of lawyers, or that our goveE2ment is
not administered In u propcrWay? We
ifsziifs'a ss's, fesH"ss 40 noe eIsesp thaf
facts warrant the assertion.
But Captain McMeekin charges
fnrther that tho Senate is composed |
almost entirely of lawyers, tho Speak
or Of tho House is q lawyer, aud tho
chairman of a majority Of tho commit
tees IRE lawyers. Upon tho first as
sertion we beg to differ, but for tho
sake Of argument we will admit that it
Is true. Did moi tho House, a majori-
ty Of which were farmers, hold a
veto power, and could thus de-
feat any obnoxious legislation proposed
by the Senate? AS te. tho Speaker of
the House, what great power is vested
In him that makes him n dictator in
that body3 lilo is generally selected
from tho legal profession simply from
the fact that the probabilities are that
he would have better knowledge of
parliamentary law than ono from tho
agricultural profession.
The third assertion, that tho chair
men Of majority Of tho Legislative
since 1876 have been law
yers, we challenge him to prove. But
nc continues, and finds fault with tho
present judicial system Of tho State, on
account of tho power which it has of
tho laws passed. by tho
General Assembly. He would rob tho
Courts Of this power and thus defeat,
to great extent, tho object for which
they were created under the Constitu.
tion. Flo would introduce q reform
which would give to tho Legislature
the power to construo its own Acts.
A single illustration will show that
the supposed reform would result in
an ignomihious failure. Suppose tho
faegislature Of 1886 had passed an ACT
making It crime to do or not do a
particular thing. When the Act be-
comes law 1t Is found that it admits
oftwo entirely different constructions
(and this ia frequently tho case), and
under this criminal statute some party
ls arrested and tried before the Court
Of Sessions. One construction of tho
statute would make him guilty of q
crime, but the other would not. The
circuit judge docs not know exactly
what tho Legislature intended, but the ,
Is found guilty, and his coun-
eel appeals to the Supreme Court. But
wien he gets there, to his sorrow, he
9 Informed by their. HonoTs that they !
,Qva mnde n lffalnno, fGsly of tho lo..x | U