The Grenada sentinel., 1889-10-12
IRE LAWS DELAYS.
Some Food for Thought for Lawyers, lay
men and Legislators.


The impatience OF the people caused
by the laws delays-an abuse older
than Shakespeare-and the devious
and costly methods by which justice Is
approached, although not always
reached, have made the courts Scon-
ing and the members Of an honorable
profession d by-word among the
masses. As in all such cases, the
shafts directed at abuses have some
times gone astray and wounded lnno-
cent persons, but, wAile lawyers vince
and protest that they are mlsrepre-
sented, there are few among them
ready to deny that such abuses IN the
methods Of bench and bar exist
1t is not however. often that 80 frank
an exposure of these evils has been
made by one within the arcana OF the
profession as that given by David Dud-
ley Field, the retiring president OF the
American Bar Association, in his ad-
dress delivered before that body at
Chicago. He said:
that we are far behind in the performance OF
them. We are boastful people; we make no
end OF saving what great things We nave uohe
and are doing, and yet behind these orI!iahL
, shows there stands speCter OF hating IuStice'
such as Is to be seen in no other part ol ChflS-
tendon. So far | am aware, tuere 10 NJ
\ other country calling itself civilized where IL
takes so long to punish criminal ana SO
' many years 10 get final decision DeIWeen ma
: and man. Truly we may say that justice
passes through the land on leaden sandals.
. One OF our most trustworthy JournaI'oJs as
serts that more murdercrs are hung By uoos
l every year than are executed in the course Oh
law. And yet We have. it is computed, nearly
20. 900 lawyers in the country France with
population Of 4U,O0O,O1, has bOO lawyers anu
!. 400 other officials. VINO do the work OF attor-
P ueys with US, and Germany, with population
Of 5000 Co., has in the same category 100.
! Thus the proportion OF the legal element Is IN
I France to 415?; in Germany, ! to G,4!3; IN
the United States, ! 10 800. Taking all these
, figures together, is It any wonder that cynlc
should say that we American lawyers talk more
= and speed less than any other equal number OIL
q men known to history:
: Here is food enough for thought for
. lawyer, layman and legislator. What
! the country seems to need is less law
, and better law; fewer lawyers, whose
, learning shall be put to the 9everest
test before their admission, whose
A character shall be closely 5crutinized
y and who shall practice under sys-
i tenn which insures instant disbarment
as the penalty Of dishOnorable dealing.
Such men would prevent litigation
where shysterS create it Then We
.e need judges of learning, dignity ant
stern moral fber-diyOrced from poll
g ties, knowing neither friendships no
i enmities where judicial duty is con
= cerned, and who will crush the lawye
L, l, who attempts pettifogging or charlie
tanry. Above all, We need Legls
- latures which will not attempt to dea
u, with matters they do not understand
~ will not pass laws for political etfec
- and will be honest, consistent and II
"9 teugent.
ut When we secure all these things W
ne shall have prompt justice-and tn
Up, millennium. Detroit Free Press.