News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1903-01-21
CHANP CLARK STORIES
Why Congress Is Largely
Made Up Of Lawyers.

JuFy-An ADle man at ! aDiS-SOH-
grece as Presidential Hatchery.
! Telling Stories on the Sumption
a Buck Was Patriotic
! Under All Circumstances.
copyright, 1902, by Champ Clark
Frequently the fact is referred to in
the newspal ers that large majority
of representatives and senators are
lawyers. That is true and probably
will continue to be true so long as the
republic lives. 1t grows out of these
facts:
Frst.-The American people are the
greatest adj lirers of Oratory on the
face of the earth. All lawyers are not
orators, nor do all lawyers get to con-
gress, but their business compelS most
lawyers to become at least intelllglble
speakers. No other class of our cltl-
zens is so much given to public speak
ing as lawyers save preachers, and very
few of the latter aspire to public sta
ton; hence the lawyers have the call,
or, in race horse parlance, the pole,
when it comes to running for con-
'gress."
Second.-A large acquaintance among
the people of a congressional district
is usually a sine qua non to a nominal
ton or an election. OF course there
are exceptions to the rule, but never
theless that is the rule. A lawyer IN
active practice has a fine opportunity
to know and be known by the voters.
Especially was that true when riding
the circuit was fashionable, for,
strange to say, the railroads, instead of
increasing the habit Of practicing over
the circuit, have diminished it. Where
fore? Let philosophers answer.
Thrd.-People have an idea that
man who has spent large portion OF
his life studying, practcing and ex-
pounding the law ought to know how
to make law. This may or may not be
true.
AS the house is made up largely of
lawyers. it goes without saying that
courts, judges, lawyers, juries, clients,
witnesses ct id genus omne are most
frequently the themes at the cloakroom
seances.
Judge Porter and the Jury.
l do not remember, however, to have
heard any lawyer congressman tell
more piquant story about a court tnan
this one am about to set forth, relat-
ed by James Kelly Pool Of Centralia,
Mo-, who is not lawyer. lie Is an
editor. He tells it of Hon. Gilchrist
Porter, a splendid Christian gentleman
who served two terms in congress and
several terms on the circuit bench.
Pools story runs in this wise: 1T is
said that on a certain occasion a sher-
iff of Audrain county summoned spe-
cial Jury to try some case in the cir
cult court at Mexico and for some rea-
son got together a tough lot of Mexico
saloon frequenters. After the jury was
duly examined it was suggested to the
judge that he proceed to qualify the
Jury. Judge Porter awoke from one
of his famous bench maps looked
the jury over carefully and said to the
iurymen. Gentlemen, can swear you
in, but all creation cannot qualify
your"
1t will not be improper to state that
MIR. Pool is an ardent temperance ad-
yocate.
Judge Porter's Mot.
Judge Porter not only slept a great
deal. but he was an enormous eater.
No man since the days of Old Epcurus
more thoroughly enjoyed dining. Judge
Porter was the author of this mot: "A
turkey is too much for one man to eat
and not enough for two" That is a
most remarkable statement when it is
remembered that in his circuit bronze
turkey gobblers frequently weigh from
40 to so pounds. He would have been
a fit table companion for the Emperor
IMaXimian or that more famous Emper-
or Charles V, whose favorite diet even
when an invalid in his old age was
lampreys and eel pies.
As to Presidential Hatcheries.
Senator S. B. Elkins Of West Virgin
ia once remarked that the house is
a much better hatchery for presidents
than the senate" That remark is en-
tirely too sweeping. No senator while
In service was ever eleClSu W TIC pACol-
dency and only one representative
while in service, James A. Garfield
who was also a senator elect. Every
body regards the vice presidency as
sort of presidential graveyard. No
body ever seems to think of The speak
ership of the house in that light, and
vet only one ex-speaker, James K
Polk, ever reached the presidency
while Vice Presidents John Adams,
Thomas jefferson, Martin Van Buren,,
John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew
johnson, Chester A. Arthur and Theo-
dore Roosevelt all attained to that eX-
allied honor, the first three by election
and the last five through the death of
their chiefs. So that, on the doctrine
of chances, leaving out the element of
death, vice president has prospects
three times as good of becoming chief
magistrate of the republic as speaker
has.
While no senator was ever elected
president while serving among the
.conscript fathers, several reached tC
the first place after quitting the sen
ate-Monroe, John Quincy Adams, An
drew Jackson, Martin Van Buren,. VIII
liam Henry Harrison, John Tyler
Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, An