The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-05-28
JUDGE STEADMAN'S SPEECH.

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JUDGE STEADMAN'S SPEECH.
The speech by Judge Steadman of the
railroad commission of this state, deliv-
cred before the Sam Houston normal
school, and which was published in The
Statesman yesterday, contained some eX-
cclent advice, which, if it had been APP
propriatc to the OCCASION he might have
extensively elaborated, but there are other
positions taken by Judge Steadman with
which we are disposed to take issue.
In the first place, let us commend the
| advice he gave to young men against
rushing to II city to seek Il career. That
has become the bane of this country since
the close of the civil war-congested
cities. The labor that was necessary for
production Oh our farms has crowded
into the cities to enter upon Il very I'M
equal competition. Unless Il young man
has extraordinary capacity in any GER
tain line of work of the skilled hand or
brain he will find himself Handicapped
i'll the city by superiority i'll his particu-
lar occupation. All the brightest
Dlen of enterprise in business
are found in cities. They are
generally the developments of their hab
itat and they are aided perhaps by their
fathers connection with the house that
appreciates their business talents and
enterprise, and every city in this land
is the graveyard of the hopes of many
worthy young men who have found them
selves overclasscd by others with supe-
rior advantages. 1t therefore ought to
be rule without an exception that unless
Il young man knows that he has the ca
pacity and training that will entitle him
to lead, to avoid the competition he finds
in cities. He may be able to lead i'll the
country and country towns, but that is
not sufficient evidence of his capacity to
meet II higher rivalry. The rule, how
ever is for every young man to measure
himself He knows whether or not he
can meet the competition and win y
young man is often deceived by know
ing that the general intelligence of a
country town is above that of city.
While that is true, the special capacity i'll
cities is high above the special capacities
in country towns.
The issue we propose to make with
Judge Stcadman is upon his estimate of
capacity for the legal profession. 1t is
specifically in his statement that 1.-THE
truth is, the fcwcst number of men have
Il talent for the law" We agree with
him that there are very few born law
ycrs, but for making that standard for
entering the profession we think is en-
roncous: very few men have Il talent for
anything There is Il very general same
ness in the mental capacity of men, and
if all those who had not special talent
for Il particular business or profession
were dcbarrcd from il by the want of Il
special talent, just contemplate the cords
of dead wood that would stand idly about
every avenue of trade.
We know that Il man, as an all-round
lawyer. must have talent but we would
not have Il man wait for the natural de-
vcopmcnt for certain talent. The law.
before any other profession. offers field
in which Il man may cultivate talent, as
he cultvatcs the muscles of his arm by
grubbing. 4 man with ordinary, natu-
raj mind may cultivate the highest order
of intellectually by digging into the
misty mazcs of the metaphysical jar
gon" of the law. Judge Stcadman's prln-
cple is entirely too exclusive and is apt
to bring about the very thing he desires
to rcmcdy-idlc men who do not feel the
inspiration of the divine atfiatus. Now
we contend if man has only an
ordinary mind by cultivatins it and max
ing it the obcdcnt instrument of his Will,
higher the means of cultivation. as III
the science of law, the greater the man
will become as II lawyer.
We would like to have supplied the
things Judge Stcadman has left out in
the Importance % choosing Il profession
or occupation. But. without giving any
unnecessary Importance TO his idea OF
special adaptivcncss being sine qua non
we merely suggest if Il young man has
not special adaptivenCss but has Il pur-
pose he will succeed, but he will succeed
sooner by adopting the profession or oc-
cupation of his father that will give him
ten years the start of others without the
advantages his father gives him, and
then with high aim and uncompromls-
ing purpose. let him press ON and he will
soon surpass the gifted genius the spcci'
ally adapted. and the world will do him
reverence and fill his pockets with the
desirable ducats.