The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-21
FARMERS AND POLITICS.
The Nimblo Lawyer Monopolizing All
tho Offices Only Twelve Farm
crs In Congress and 278
o.. .,i,.. Lawyers.
lFrom the Columbia Registor.)

the past few months about the rights
and wrongs Of the farmers, that one
may be pardoned for little examin.
alton into the CONSISTENCY of some of
their chosen advocates Us we'll as that
Of the farmers themselves, so far
as the Third Congressional Dis.
trict is concerned. ....
1t so happens that the farmer Con.
gressman Of the District declines a
denomination, and four or five law.
yers, being the natural allies and pro.
electors Of farmers, are ,anxiously
studying how they can best serve the
interests of their proteges and---se.
cure their own election. In this con.
nection would it not be in order for
the farmers TO ascertain the extent of
their representation in the present
Congress, and for the lawyers to
prove the necessity for one of their
profession being chosen for the i'm.
portant position?
am credibly informed that the
farming interests, the greatest in tho
United States, is represented by
t,oelve members. including our re.
firing friend Aiken kaad that such
was the patlcity of%nRtefial that the
Speaker, either in despair or pique,
appointed laaoyer as Ch0i,mun of
the Cinem,ittee on Agricultwe' Now,
farmers, how does that sound? Does
it look as though you are much rep.
resented in that august body in which
you stand taoelve against TWO HUN.
DRIED AND sEvENTY-TIIREE LAWYERS!
We boast of being the bone and
sinew of the country, liorsooth In
the above proposition we may be the
bone, but I'll be hanged if see where
our sinews (or brains) come in Now,
candidly,fha4e you3"ever thought of
this. or didgyou ever know how well
your class Is represented in Congress-?
If not, is it not high time. you did
begin tosthink?. The United States
Senate contains siXty.five lawyers
out of seventy.eight all told
have@not'aSword to say against
lawyers, and deprecated, and will
continue totdo so, the late attempt to
array class against class at home,
when we have about eighty farmers
in the House to some, thirty odd law.
yers. Lawyersiare anecessity in all
Observation-Disclosures, and it would be
disastroussfor any county to dispense
with their services in framing laws
Now, according to the utterances of
the leaders Of the so,oalled farmers
movement, we were to have nothing
but simon-pure farmers in conven-
tion, Legislature, &C., and the upper
counties having given birth to this idea
one would naturally expect some re.
suits aud aslittle CONSISTENCY, at least
in the forthcoming nominations, par.
ticularly in the case of Congressman
from a purely agricultural district to
q body in which farmers literally
have no representation rs an interest.
DO you suppose these 273 lawyers
represent you? Don't you suppose,
outside of our own four or five lawyer
members, that the great bulk Of the
lawyers derive their income and Sc.
cure their election through the innu.
cncc Of corporations and monopolies
Of all kindsa You know that law.
yers could not grind $4,000 out of
farmers, as b. +. Butler is said to do
out Of his clients annually:
What is the use of farmers talking
about the reduction of taxes, re.
vision Of the tariff. or any ameliora.
tion Of the condition of the country
with 273 men, most Of whom can of.
ten clear more money in day than
large farm can grow in a year, and
who know nothing and care less for
the anxious cares and poor rct,irns Of
farmers, so long as they can draw
their salaries and make laws bring.
ing more grist to their mills, and, Of
course. at the expense of the masses
Of the peopleY 80.
What has become Of the millions
Of acres Of land once belonging to
the people? Is it not in the posses.
sion of railways, land grabbers and
monopolics Of every kind? True,
they haye some show Of title in some
cases, but how obtained and through
whom? They can point exultingly
to statute upon statute passed by
Congress legalizing the Wholesale
plunder. just the same as the Radi.
calls not many years ago in our State
stole and swindled under the form of
law. If ever there was q time for
the farmers of the United States to
organize, choose their own rcprescn
tatives, and drive from place and
power this regiment Of lawyers now
fattening, not on their salaries but
on the proceeds Of so.called legisla.
tion inuring to their benefit, as we'll
as to tho whole army of pensic /.