The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-02-23
COUNTRY LAWYERS.
The Late senator Davi~' Appreciation
of Their Leerning and
Ability.

such places as Hominy Hill.' WAS the
remark made by politician in March.
1855, Immediately after the nomina-
tion of Senator Garland for attorney
general. Great lawyers are to be
found only in Boston, New York, Phil
adelphia, Chicago. st. Louis and other
cities OF considerable size and extern
sive business interests. They do not
come from places like Hominy Hill.
which would never be heard OF but for
the elevation of some obscure man
to a position in either house Of con-
gress," continued the partisan critic.
relates the ST. Paul Pioneer Press.
This statement was repeated To SEN
ator Davis, of Minnesota, only a few
days before the beginning of his fatal
illness. and the great lawyer-states-
man said:
"That is untrue. and il is the Lam
guage of nonsense. In the first place,
Senator Garland is one of the ablest
constitutional lawyers that this eoun-
try has produced in a generation. He
was one of the greatest OF the SOUTH
ern senators, and he was great at
torney general, too. | have no pa
tienee with any such sneers as that at
the country lawyer. As mere mat
ter of fact. many city lawyer who Is
supposed by his clients, and by TIE
general public as well as by himself,
TO be a great lawyer, has gone into
the country districts of his state to
try case. where he would have n
country lawyer pitted against him,
and has learned, sometimes to his dis
gust, as well as to his surprise. that
the country lawyer was great deal
more than match for him upon
every point.
81 have had some experience OF that
sort. as a city lawyer going out TO
meet with country lawyers, and /
know what | am talking about when
| say that some of the ablest legal
lights of this country have come from
obscure country towns. OF course il
is true that in smaller towns. where
business Is less favorable, the lawyers
do not receive large fees, because they
are not retained in great eases, in
yolyng large amounts of money. but
they are none the less studious and
interested in their own advancement.
Very often it happens that lawyer
who does not make more than $1,000
or So, 600 per annum is busily engaged
all the time in the study of law. and
becomes so thoroughly informed upon
every branch of law, so thoroughly
, versed in his reading of great preced.
ents. that he is much better equipped
for the management of important
cases than city lawyer who is al
ways engaged in practice, and does
not have sufficient amount of time
J to devote to reading.
"For example, one of the greatest
jursts the present generation has
produced was the late Associate Jus
, tice Samuel +. Miller, who, when he
was appointed to his position upon
the supreme court by President Lin
coin, in 1862, was a practicing attor
ney in the little town Of Keokuk, la.
at the foot of the Des Moines rapids
of the Mississippi river, That is by nc
means an important city, and was as
small town then as it is now.
During his first administration
President Cleveland appointed Bart
lett Tripp to be chief justice Of thu
supreme court of the territory of Da'
kota. / know Mr.. Trip intimately
, and I am related TO him and ] have
no hesitancy in saying that he is one
of the ablest lawyers in this country
He was splendidly educated in New
England, and he spent a number oi
years in Yankton, s. d., and became
very learned in law.
Moreover, / can tell you as mat.
ter of fact, some of the greatest law.
yers that have been produced by the
eastern states have come from eonn'
try towns. Pennsylvania and New
York have had in their country towns
great many lawyers of superior
ability who would very readily and
very easily outclass some OF the more
pretentious lawyers OF the cities oi
New York and Philadelphia. The
same may be said of Massachusetts,,
Connecticut and other New England
states. can tell you at random. and
from memory, the names of some OF
these great country lawyers, and You
will readily recognize their names
and realize the truth Of the state
ment which | have made. ] want t0
repeat, however, that IL makes me
indignant TO hear such a reflection
; as that which you have quoted upon
the name Of Attorney General Gar.
land. He is splendid lawyer, and in
every sense a superior man.
Zone of the greatest country law.
yers I ever knew was a man named
, Carpenter, who practiced many years
ago in the little town of Beloit, Wis
He afterward became famous as a
lawyer and statesman, but he lait
the foundation for his greatness and
eninence while he was an obscure
practitioner in an obscure town
Very soon after he moved to Miiwau
; kee aud was retained in some impor
tant cases, the name OF Mart Carpen
ter became well known throughout
: the entire state of Wisconsin. In /;
: very few years he was elected to th'
United States senate, and immediate
! lv secured national reputation as |
LAWYER and statesman. But. as ! salt
I before. the foundation OF all his great
ne@s was laid when he was coun
try lawyer"
PrfvafIon.
Mrs. Newriche-I believe our next
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