The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-03-02
Crusade Against Lawyers,

SfUSaae against Lawyers.
Where is the sense in abusing the we rs?
They 90 not elect themselves to Office, for
there are only about 1000 in the State, and
there are about 200 900 ~vrtcrs. Aud when
they g., to the Legislature they should not be
blamed for all the bad legislation; for they
arc III Il minority there.
Will anybody undertake to prove that law
,yers arc less patriotic than other people?
They have served the State as faithfully i'm
peace and in war as any other class of citi-
zens. Lct any old soldier say If this is no,
true. And everybody remembers with what
unsciiishncss and fidelity they worked in 1876,
on tue stump and everywhere else they were
needed, tor the success of the democracy.
1t Is getting to be quite the STYLE among Il
low order Of poll ticnl rctnrmers to abuse
and Willy lawyers in the abstract. But law
ycrs do not exist in the abstract; they are
zeal, living, acting personalities, known and
observed of the communities in which they
live. They are the kinsmen and friends and
companions OF other people of all other call
ings in the community; they are officers in
the churches, trustees i'll the schools and col
leges; and i'll every other way, in their indi-
vidual relationship, stand on their merits as
other men in other professions and callipps
do. Let anyone take the trouble to call over
the list of lawyers he is acquainted with-the
Individual members OF the professionalism
see II they do not com pare fuycrably. in point
OF character and personal wor.h-escentiaIs
OF true manhood-with the average man in
othc: walks of life. There are "black sheen"
among the lawyers only as there are 'black
sheep among farmers, merchants aud me-
chances.
If one has n valid objection to a LAWYER. let
him make 1t al individual objection, as he
does in the case of Il merchant or farmer. and
not abuse the whole profession for the faults
of one.
1t may be set down as a pretty SAT-. rule
that the man who is cternaIly abusing the
lawyers Is Il dcinagUguc and is trying to adj
vance his "wn aspirations by appealing to
prejudice and passion.
This is rn: written in defense of luwycr,-
for they need no dctrns.: but as . Lru,rs,
against Il mean species Of Gc,ia susisIm lhat
would pre-; udicc one class of ciii1c!., AGAINST
another for political rupusos--lor it is i sig
%niicant fact that all the abuse OF lawyers
ccnterS in politics.
Bnt how do tho lawyers regard this abuse
of then: selves? We do not know, but think
it very likely they regard it with contempt,
as all other sensible people do. They know
the purpose and they know that everybody
~elscwhose opinion is worth anything knows 1t
also; and so they move on scrcnciy and un-
concerned. They know, and they feel that
every other sensible man knows, that they
are measured by their character and moi by
their calling-as other men are. Aud they
know more than ,:hat--and right here ".
would put Il "nea ill the ear Of the "anti-Iaw-
yer" h0wler-they know that the more law
| yers are abused, the more will d discriminate
ing and justicc-loving public come to their
Findicatloh whenever they arc candidates for
office. And this is no doubt the reason that
of all men who run for office, the greater pro-
portion OF those elected ar. LAWYERS,
If two men Of equal merit and ability are
running against each other, one of them being
Il lawyer; and the other candidate or his
friends base his claims to support on the
ground that he is not IL lawyer while his oppo-
nent is, the lawyer will be elected; for he will
have not only the votes of those who vote for
him on his merits, but will get the vote, of
many vino, otherwise neutral, will take The
ed S "'os-
The best way to elect u luwyer is to abuse
the Macye'*.
While on this subject, it occurs to us that
there was Il time when it was not objected
that lawyers held prominent positions IN the
country, and at Il time, too, when they served
not for salary but for patriotism. Let us run
over the list of the Generals that were in the
Confederate army from South Carolina, and
see what their occupations We're before they
went into the war. 1t May give some new
ideas TO politicians whose stock in trade is
abuse of the lawyers. The list OF Generals |
may not be complete, but embraces ali that
We can now call to mind:
Lawyers: Maxcey Gregg, J.. L. Kcrslaw,
Jno. ID. Kennedy, Sam'l McGowan, w. H.
Wallace, NJ. w. Gary, NJ. l.. Bonhaln. ".
Butler, States Rights Gist, james Conner,
James CheSnit, ADner ferrln.
Planters: Wade Hampton, John Bratton.
John Drayton,-- Trapicr, Johnson lin,
good, a. ~. Manisault, Stephen D.. FL
lott.
Regular Army: +. II. Anderso., Stcpbcn
d.. Ice, John Dnnnovant, K. s. Ripley, \. G..
Evans, Barnard Dee.
Teacher: Micah Jenkins.
The above may prove interesting reading 70
those who think that lawyers are too prnmi-
nent in these piping times of peace; who
think that lawyers are public enemies: that
lawyers have no patriotism, but only want the
offices for private greed and personal and pro-
aggraniizem6nt.
Can anybody point out any bad Legislation,
or maladministration that awyers are resnon.
sible for9 How could such a thing be When
they have always been in a minority in the
legislature? And in looking over the list Of
State officers, the only lawyers we find there
are Lieutenant-G Governor Sheppard. who ia
President of the Senate, and Attors
ney- General Miles-thiso officer must of necs.-
sity be a lawyer. So that if here is nuv
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the lawyers are not respo,-
sible for it: Then why this wholesale denun-
citation OF lawyers? Let every man stand on
his own individual merits. There is no sense
in trying to array one class of citizens against
another. And tits wrong.--Hew6trry C6sey-
ssr.