Wichita eagle., 1890-02-09
JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS.

The esteemed Newton Republican at
tempts to impale the EAGLE on the
shaft of ridicule by arbitrarily placing it
in absolute opposition to lawyers as leg
islators, and parades the action Of the
legislature of North Dakota, which does
not include a single lawyer in its rolls of
members but is composed entirely of
farmers (Uhis last statement is simply a
conclusion of the Republican's), in ''sell-
ing OUT to the Louisiana state lottery,
to emphasize the point. The EAGLE has
never taken position in absolute oppo-
sition to lawyers being selected as law
makers. 1t has said it regarded it mex
pedient to constitute legislative bodies
wholly of lawyers, or even to place them
in a majority; but it has also said in so
many words that it is necessary for
every legislative assembly to have in
its membership some persons
well versed not only in the science of
law but also familiar with the written
law, and stated, as it again states that
the reasons for this are too patent to
need so much as to be stated-every in
telligent person understands them.
The action of the Dakota legislature,
referred to, was the granting to the lot
terry company the privilege of transfer
ring its headquarters from New Orleans
to Bismarck, n. D., for a consideration
of $75, 900 year to the state in the shape
of license, and $4,000 year in
seeds to be furnished to the farmers of
the state, and in addition to the public
considerations, says the Republican,
into the itching palm of every horny
land there was slipped good wad of
money" The statement last quoted is
mere assertion, a conclusion, without the
slightest evidence to sustain it, and being
such is an aspersion upon body every
member of which, according to the Re-
publican, is farmer. and large major
ity OF whom are Republicans.
But suppose the allegations of our e. C.
Tin this instance meaning erroneous con-
tenn. are true, what evidence has it that
the action of the Dakota legislature in
the premises would have been different
had that body been composed exclusively
of lawyers. or any other calling or pro-
fession as for that? The editor of the
Republican, with all his ingenuity and
smartness-ha is both ingenius and
smart-can not force the EAGLE into the
attitude of inveighing against any class
of honest and honorable citizens: neither
is it necessary for us to champion the
cause of the farmers in this instance and
defend them against the Republicans
imputation. Their reputation and gen.
eral characteristics for probity and hon
esty certainly places them as high in the
moral scale as those who go out of their
way and seek opportunities to besmirch
them.
The foregoing is not to be construed
rs defense OF the action of the
Dakota legislature in granting the fran
chise mentioned. We believe it to be
indefensibe from any point of view We
simply mean to deny the gratuities of
the Republican in its attempt to place
the EAGLE in a false attitude, and 10 ex-
pose the falSity of its reasoning. Logic
that proves too much is bad logic and
disproves itself.
We repeat what has been sa id
thousand times, and what is an indispu-
table truth, that class legislation and
this applies to legislation BY classes as
well as in their special interests contra
ry to the spirit and policy of our govern
ment and cannot be practiced without
injury to the common veal Fitness
should always be the controlling consid-
Grafton in the selection of public officers,
with due consideration for the interests
of ali