San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-10-07
More About a Certain Glass OF LAWYERS
...AdYIce 10 Young Mon.

. we think worthy ofrecord. Ino po
sition and influence which tho lcga
profession have achieved in the worlC
affords q striking comment on thu
! extent 10 which cultivated sharpness
inspired only by mercepary greed
; can reach in quilting mankind. W.
of course speak generally. There
are unquostionably lawyers who arc
actuated by higher motives. The
foundation principles OF law are real
ly in bOrmony with truth and justice
and the better class OF lawyers revcr
ence those principles and labor to up
ply them in actual life. But how
comparatively few is this class! Yet the
uureasoning world makes no distinc'
ton. The smatterer in tho science,
the morest pettifogger, who has DO
como an adept in tho tricks and casu'
istry of the profession so as to make
it pay, regardless of moral principle
is looked upon with the same admira-
ton by the ignorant multitude-nay
more-than the genuine lawyer. In
somuch as he has "put money in his
purse" no matter how, wears fine
clothes, and assumes purse-proud
strut, is he regarded with admiration
by tho crowds who most frequent
courts.
1t is not, however, surprising that
there are 80 many unprincipled men
in the profession, for it is undeniable
that the tendency of the ordinary
practice is to unsettle and confuse
the moral principles and convictions
We do not say there are not good,
conscientious men in the profession,
but we do say they are such in spite
of the ordinary course OF their bust
ness. In general lawyers are the
Swiss, the Hessians of legal contests,
fighting with equalreadiness on either
side, tho right or the wrong. The
natural result is, they are apt to lose
sight of any clearly defined moral
principles, and, like actors, to con-
clude that all men are merely playing
part, and chat truth, justice, virtue,
religion, are only DISCUSSES in which
people masquerade, and which may
be put on or off at pleasure as the
grand design of making money or
attaining selfish predominance may
require.
Such is the chief damning stig-
ma on the general practice of lawyers,
and it is on this account mainly
that we would exhort young men,
seeking field of honorable effort, to
keep out OF the legal profession.
Attention to the aspiration, "Lead us
not into temptation" imperatively
forbids. Be not seduced by their
fine dress, their air of ease and gen
tility, or the stupid Difference which
is paid to the class to which we re-
fer; you know not how tho cankor-
worm of conscious guilt and moral
degradation may gnaw at their hearts.
Better the farm, the shop; better far
the humblest honest avocation than
incur the distrust and condemnation
of all good people and the frown OF q
God of Justice
But at this day of grace there are
plenty other avenues to honorable sue
cess in life. Time was when the then
so-called " learned professions Of
law, medicine and divinity were
thought to complete the list. The
world has outgrown all that. The
newspaper and periodical press we be-
lieve now Yields o greater influence
than all of these combined. Sad to say,
that influence is not all for good,
yet the good predominates. The
law especially was once deemed the
peculiar channel to worldly SUCCESS
and renown. Such is by no means the
case now. The vocations of editor, re-
porter and publisher, of teacher, civil
engineer, architect, manufacturer, rail
road builder, and many others will
suggest themselves as avenues to
wealth and distinction, all entirely
unoblectionable in their character,and
all tending to the public good. "The
law is no longer tho only door even
to political distinction. The follow
ers of the avocations just enumerated
are coming more and more to the
front in Congress and our other leg
islative bodies. And why mott The
growing distrust of lawyers rs legis-
lators is well founded. For who are
so likely to sell their votes as men
whose daily business too often is to
make merchandise Of their conscien-
cesl Let the young men of Texas