The San Francisco call., 1896-10-31
Letters From the People.
A CALL TO LAWYERS.
The DUTY of the Le0al Profession is the
Present CRISIS.

Present Crisis.
There appears in this mornings Examiner
an article by L. D. McKisick ESQ.,, reproving
those members of the bar of San Francisco
who assembled some days since for the pur-
pose OF participating in the .'sound-money
parade to be held to-day, for their Jasmine
stupidity" and their failure to "blush with
shame" and comparing them to the "three
tailors of Tooley street." who claimed to repre-
sent the people of England. The marked
courtesy of the article is so apparent from the
copious epithets with which it abounds that 1t
would seem to require an equally respectful
reply.
That the constitution of the United States
pr Divides that Congress shall not make any
thing but gold and silver coin ana tender in
payment of debts is quite true, but it is quite
new discovery that the immortal document
required silver to be coined at q ratio of 16 to
1 with gold. 1t remained with certain So
called representatives OF the Democratic party
at chicago to make that discovery, and thereby
become the bunko-steerers of that great party
against the huSest gambling scheme of the
age.
If the lawyer who opposes the policy OF COIN
ing silver at that ratio "ought to be stricken
from the roll,' II is quite odd that the enor-
nifty OF that ohense was not recognized during
that long period of our financial history when
SILVER was coined att the ratio of 1914 to l..
Judge McKisick's ancestors or predecessors in
the legal profession must have been pro-
1oundiy impressed. as he apparently is, with
such gross invasion of the organic law as the
unlimited coinage of silver at that ratio when
10 to l was the only constitutional ratio for
sound money" and yet it seemed to escape
their Jealous scrutiny. No one would object
at this day 10 the coinage Of silver at its real
ratio OF 81 TO l, except those who might think
II unddvisable to have bulky coin, and
those who might think 1t unwise to have a
ratio which would have to be changed with
each f1uctuation in value of that metal
When the constitution of the United States
shall hx the ratio OF coinage 1t will be time
enough to declaim about lawyers supporting
it. Until that is done those lawyers who be-
lieve that the welfare and financial integrity
OF the Nation is TO be preferred to the am BIZ
tious scheme OF silver mine owners will regard
II as II cir highest duty to maintdin one and
thwart the other.
The attempt of Judge McKisick to palliate
the gross and unwarrantable attack of the So
called Democratic convention at Chicago on
the highest court of the Nation needs little
remark. The covert threat contained in its
platform to abolish that court and TO recon-
struct 1t In the interest OF those who iffer
from its decisions so that that lofty tribunal
las 1t may hereafter be constituted" may be
made obedient to the behests of portion of
the so-caled represent ntatives of political
party-the denunciation OF arbitrary inter-
ference by Federal authorities in local affairs
as q. crime against free institutions" )"
the characterizing of the Federal Judges as at
"orce legislators, judges and executioners''
seems to have escaped his attention.
When the lawfully constituted tribunals of
the Nation can with impunity be thus assailed,
when the profound respect that is due to those
in Judicial authority is turned into contumely
and citizens of this great country are advised
to oveFturn and repuuiate the DEGREES of their
courts Of justice, it is high time that the law
yers of this country vindicated with emphasis
their scorn and detestat ton of such counses.
When they fail to do SO; when they refuse to
respond to those sen ailments of respect for the
administration OF justice which their high
profession teaches them as the very funda-
mental maxims of their lives 1t will be- a
melancholy day for organized society and
stable government.
Who was it that said, "Now go some and pull
down the Savoy; others to the inns of court;
down with them ali; burn all the records OF
the realm; my mouth shall be the Parliament
of England and henceforth all things shall be
in common 2" WILLIAM NJ. PIERsoN