Wichita eagle., 1890-02-12
A FARMER FOR FARMERS
To the Editor of the Eagle
Hereditary bondsmen, know ye not
Who would be free themselves mus
It'll z fn.,6

| To the Editor OF tne Eagle
Hereditary bondsmen, know re not
Who would be free themselves must
strike the blow"
/ 1t was stated in the EAGLE two OF
three weeks ago, that strictly speaking,
lawyers were not eligible as representa-
tives OF the people. But if elected to
either the state or national legislature
they should be disbarred during their
| continuance in Office. This would pre-
vent any member of the legal fraternity
| from giving as an excuse that the money
which he receives as bride for his vote
and influence on any measure was mere
" the usual Zee paid to him for services
rendered as attorney in the case. 1t is a
humiliating fact for the wealth produc-
ers of the United States. to ponder On,
that more than two-thirds of their rep
resentatives in one branch of the nation
al legislature are lawyers. Does not
this fact imply that the farmers of
the republic are bowed down by
sense of their own inferiority,
that we are incapable, through legisla-
ton of righting the wrongs of which we
complain: We are suffering the conse-
quences which all suffer who delegate to
others work which should be performed
by themselves. The fine hand of the
lawyer can be plainly seen in the former
rules of the house of representatives.
These rules were adopted for the pur-
pose of preventing fhe transaction of
public business. Would congress
composed of a majority of farmers adopt
rule which makes a member present
and absent at the same time? Sir Boyle
Roche declared in the British parliament
that he was not like bird and could not
be in two places at once, but he was left
completely Fin the shade by the authors
OF this legal fiction that a man
can be present and absent at
the same time. II congress Of
farmers adopted a similar rule in any
deliberative assembly, they would be
justly criticised by the newspaper
scribes as being deficient in truthfulness
as well as common sense.
From the very nature Of things we
must have lawyer as chief justice of
the United States. In every state Of the
union a lawyer must be state attorney;
IN every county of the state lawyer
is county attorney, besides the member
appointed or elected to the judicial
bench. Surely class that is so well |
provided for should not seek to control |
the legislative branch of the government, |
where laws are enacted that have a
direct effect in bringing prosperity or
poverty to the farmers and other wealth |
creators. On the other hand, the ma
terial prosperity of lawyers is not affected |
by congressional enactments, therefore |
it logically follows that those
whose prosperity depends on
good laws honestly administered |
should be entrusted with the law max
ing power. Lawyers may be governors
Of states or president of the United
States, but the law making power should
be only entrusted to those who suffer
most from the consequences of bad laws.
When monopolies are accommodating
Ill the wealth of the country in their
,ordid grasp it is time that radical re-
forms should be instituted by those who
ire robbed of the profits OF intelligent
abor. Will the members of the Farm
,rs' alliance waste their time in building
yranaries in the air, while the law max
ng power is within their reach? When
he creators of wealth shall make laws
or its just distribution, the words of the
statutes shall be plain, distinct and in
capable of double meaning. This long
wished for time is approaching; the
pirit of reform is already in our midst,
md saluting her with all the ardor and
of the race to which l be-
ong, with uncovered head 1 fervently
xclaim este perpetual.
Yours respectfully,
ONE OF THE MACS.
lien MARY FARM, Feb. II, 1890.