Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-02

institutions. Lawyers guided the fathers In
the framing of our matchless Constitution.
With relatively a very few exceptions every
President, every Vice President, every
Speaker of the House of Representatives
and every head of department since the or
ganization of the government has been a
member of the legal profession. 1t is an in
teresting fact that nearly every Secretary
or the Treasury since the government was
established has been a lawyer who was
without previous training as a financier.
Inc first Secretary of the Treasury was
that Incompatible lawyer, Alexander Ham
ilton, of whom 1t has been said that of all
men who ever lived in the United States his
was the most complete mind. He seemed
to absorb information. Upon any subject
he could leap fully armed into the saddle
ready to meet all Corners If right he was
irresistible; IL wrong master of sophistry,
he was almost irrefutable.' Talleyrand the
French statesman and dplomafist said that
the three greatest men he ever met were
Napoleon Bonaparte. Charles James Fox
and Alexander Hamilton, and that of these
three Hamilton was the greatest. In the
tremendous struggle of the civil war we had
as head Of the War Department an able
lawyer, whose name will be inseparably con-
nected with that contest and be forever
united with the names of LINCOLN and Grant
l ailude to Edwin NJ. Stanton And we have
To-Day at the head of that department an
other lawyer. Whether as governor gen.
erai OF the Philippines, experimenting
the construction of an international canal
connecting the two great oceans of the
world he has been as much at home as
when discharging the duties of a circuit
judge or the United States. But this is not,
py any means. all that may be said of law
yers. They have written or supervised the
writings or all our constitutions and stat
utes. They have been-especially In troub-
. .s umes-accepted as representatives of
the people. Now more than ever they
should fulill their great functions as gl,ides
10 their fellow citizens, and lead the people
IN ways that make for the safety of govern
Ineht ana the security of personal rights.
We are living. gentlemen, in a period of
unrest and anxiety.
A Feeling of Uncertainty.
There is with large masses OF our people
feeling of uncertainty Widespread.
genuine alarm prevails as to what the
future has in store for our country. OF
this no one can entertain any doubt. Some
faint-hearted persons fear that free govern
ment, resting upon the consent Of the gov
erned, will prove to be failure; that we
are steadily drifting toward monarchy or
toward the reign of mob. Some think. or
aIect to think. that civilization has
become rotten to the core, and that the
United states is perilously near an up
heaval which viii sweep away all or much
that is valuable In our public and social
HE. do not share these gloomy fore
bodings as to our future. l am not a pessi
mist Inc american people are stronger
today than they have ever been, In all the
sterling qualities of true manhood Their
standard OF right Is higher than 1t ever
was al any time in our past history Their
aphorrence OF wrong and bad practices
whether In public or private life among
whatever classes, was never more marked
than ii Is at this day. And that explains
why 1t Is that apparently the entire pe2u-
lation OF the United States is In motion with
the relentless purpose to uncover the
vicious, immoral acts of those who have
defied all law whose aim In life seems to
have been to accompl ish selfish Objects
without regard to the means employed to
That end. One of the causes OF the present
disturbed condition of the popular mind
let me say, is the reckless disregard Of law
manifested In many parts Of the country
north, SOUTH east and west and the failure
OF courts and juries to visit condign punish
ment upon those who have trampled the
law under their feet, and taken no account
OF the rights of others. Lawlessness has its
source mainly In the neglect to enforce the
law without respect of persons. We are
having, just now. revival OF integrity and
OF right dealing in public and In private
and business life. Let the good work go
on. without favor toward any one, and 1t
will not be long before. not only the at
mosphere In public. business and private
but the public win be treasured that this
great and all-powerful American people are
equal to any emergency that may arise in
their history. Whether the gloomy fore
bodfngs OF the pessimist will soon be yeri-
ned; whether lawlessness and q failure TO
enforce the law Is long to continue in our
country; whether public and business life