Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-10-28
THE LAW A POLITICAL SCHOOL
List Of Congressman Who are Lawyers.
A Change Taking Place.

The law seems to be the preparatory school
Of political life in this country, though it is
not so much SO in England. Nearly three
tourths of the members of congress have
studied law, and out of the seventy-six sena-
tors fifty-seven are put down in the directory
Is regular practitioners John Sherman
pegan his business life as a lawyer, and
Henry b Payne made his greatest reputation
at the bar The millionaire, Stanford was
lawyer in Wisconsin, and he would probably
never have been the great millionaire that be
is had not his Office burned to the ground. and
the fire driven him to California Both
Teller and Bowen are lawyers, though they
have made their millions in other ways
Nearly all of the southern men have prac-
iced law, and Joe Brown, of Georgia, got
ais start before the bar John A Logan has
tried many law case, and Dan voorhees, has
still large practice in criminal cases
Senator Allison, after he graduated at the
Western Reserve college, pfacticed at the
Ashland, O., bar before he went to Iowa,
and the cutting tongue of Senator ingalls, has
carved up many criminal before the Kan
sas juries. Beck, of Kentucky, is a lawyer,
lad both of the Massachusetts, senators have
practical. Omar D. Conger tried his first
.aw case within fifty miles of Cleveland, and
both Cockrell and Vest are lawyers. George
Edmunds is said to make $4,000 year by
The law, notwithstanding his position in the
senate, and there is hardly a senator OK
note who has not gotten his first training in
law office
1t is the same in other branches of political
| life. tn" lower house has over 300 members
who have been lawyers, and its best men are
| these who have been engaged in active prac-
ice II is SO in the executive departments,
| and the greater proportion of every presl
lential cabinet of the past was made up of
lawyers. Grover Cleveland is n lawyer;
| Arthur, Hayes, Johnson and Lincoln were
lawyers, and so were Buchanan, Pierce, Fill
more, Martin Van Buren, and Andrew Jack
son. Thomas Jefferson was making 5000
year at the law when he was married, and
Madison ana Monroe had each studied law
| before they got into politics Looking back
,ver the more prominent statesmen the same
Ia. shows itself Daniel Webster carried on
MS law practice during the whole of his sen
atorial career. Henry Clay was a strong
man before u jury, and John C.. Calhoun
studied law after lie left college.
| People have the idea that Andrew jackson
was an illiterate man, but he had the bulk of
the law business of Tennessee before he be-
came very prominent politically, and Tom
Denton was also a practitioner in the Ten
ncssee courts before he went to Missouri The
Bayards have been lawyers for generations
Villas, Garland, Lamar and Whitney are
| lawyers, and Endicott has been judge upon
| The bench.
From the very beginning of our govern
aent the law has been the step to political
| prefcrmcnt, but it will probably grow less so
as tho country grows older and more de-
voted TO business. 1t used to be that the
primary requisite for congressman was the
power Of stump speaking But the day of
the speaking congressman has passed
| Carp" in Cleveland Leader