The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-06-30
a GLIMPSE OF 1885.
a Critical Period for the Legal Profession
of Massachusetts.

the people by the proceedings of the
county conventions and the lists OF
grievances enumerated by those assem-
blages. But perhaps there is no part
of the story of the eventful year under
view more remarkable than that which
has to do with the raid against the legal
profession. 1t was all the work of one
man, sending anonymous communica-
tons to Boston newspaper. Early in
the year an article signed "Honestus"
appeared in the independent Chronicle,
ascribing to the lawyers some of the
evils under which the community was
suffering. The article seems to have
attracted some attention and the author
soon followed it with another, in which
the "order of lawyers" was more
pointedly assailed. Presently the at
tack drew forth from merchant word
in defense of the lawyers "Honestus"
thercupon replied. and the prosecution
of his original plan and his cpntro.
versies with defenders of the legal pro.
fession occupied large share of the
public notice and great many columns
in the Chronicle.
"Honestus" was Mr.. Benjamin Aus.
tin, very ardent politician and very
persistent writer from the time of the
revolution until, in Jefferson admins-
tration, his writings caused Indirectly a
most lamentable tragedy and the death
of his own son. More dreary, inconse-
quential and altogether absurd reading
was never printed than were those arti-
Giles against the lawyers. 1t is almost
incred BILE that they could have had an
effect upon the community, but they
did. "Honestus" charged the lawyers
with thrustng themselves in large num-
bers into the legislature, and there ex-
erting an undue influence in the making
of laws by the administration of which
they were afterwards to profit. Yet the
whole "order of lawyers in Massachu-
sets, in 1856, comprised but eighty-one
members; and in House of Repre-
Sentatives numbering two hundred and
fifteen, only nine were lawyers, while
but one member of the profession was
q representative for Boston.
The accusations against the lawyers
were for the most part vague, general
and unsupported by facts At first no
one thought it worth while to reply to
them, but when it began to appear that
the writer was making an impression
upon the public mind, one and another
took up the cudgels in behalf of the ma
Ggned profession. "Honestus' met his
antagonists in p manner which forces
one to think that very good lawyer of
certain sort was spoiled when he
chose commerce for vocation. The
first reply to his assertions was q con-
else, pointed and effective answer, con-
tanning facts which overthrow
"Honestus'' completely; and the
writer, in order to prevent
its being said that he was contending
for his own profession, assured his
readers that he was not q lawyer, but
merchant. "Honestus'' perverted the
disclaimer, and, with sheer, treated it
as evidence of anxiety to avoid the
odium of belonging to the profession.
Again, when he had printed what he
declared to be an actual bill of costs
allowed by court of the common
wealth, in order to show the ruinous
expense of legal process, one who
avowed himself lawyer replied, with
an explicit denial that any such bill was
ever allowed in Massachusetts. The
first specific accusation made by "Hon-
estus, capable of being tested as to its
truth, was thus met with fiat contra
diction. and the accuser was challenged
to name the suit, the court or the county
in which the bill was presented. Instead
OF responding frankly to this challenge,
the agitator indulgcd in u shout of tri-
umPh at having provoked tho lawyers
to defend themselves, notwithstanding
pretended contempt of my remarks"
Later in the controversy "Honestus"
was ''done" into poetry. An ironical
versiied trayesty of his accusations and
statements was printed, covering
whole page of the Chronicle.
But If this assault upon the LAWYERS
by "a young incendiary," as he was inn
patiently designated by correspondent
styling himself Seneca" was met in
some quarters with ieers, in other quar-
tiers it had great effect. 1t was then
a common custom for towns to adopt,
in town meeting, addresses of instruc-
ton to their representatives in the Gem
eral Court. Not a few of the towns in
serted in their instructions to repre-
sentatiyes paragraph requiring them
70 90 all IN their power to mitigate the
evil OF lawyers. For example, the
town of Dedham solemnly voted, con-
corning the lawyers, that 1--WE
think their practice pernicious
and their mode demonstrations
al. p" The representative was to do
all he could to promote reform, and if
that should prove to be impracticable,
''you are to endeavor that the order of
iawyers be totally abolished" Ded-
ham, by the way, voted the same year,
with reference to the representative
instructed rs above that his compensa-
ton should be five shillings day; and if |
the sum granted by the General Court
Tor then, as now, the State paid the
members-should exceed that sum he
was to pay the overplus into the town
treasury. A resolution to instruct the
Boston representative to vote for the
abolition of lawyers was brought for
ward at town meeting in May, but |
was supported by only seven votes.
Boston, indeed, was the chief restrain-
ing force which prevented Massachusetts
from lapsing into hopeless anarchy.
Another proposition discussed during
the year was to limit the number Of |
lawyers in the State to twenty-five, and |
to designate them Unpopular election
E6wGrd StanaoOod, in Atlantic.
A French Workman's Dinner.