Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-05-02
A Plea For The Lawyers

EQUALS
We hold to this belief today perhaps ardenty than
ever since experience has proved what was necessarily
but theory before.
There is one thing, however, in which women are lack
ING not fault but the contrary; and that one tS
is experience Like Schoochdren let loose IN fled OIL
flowers they chase the butterflies in their eratlc 1gh
not so much with objective in view as to indulge the
ardOr of pursuit Were the smile not undlgmlled we
should say they were even colts IN pasture Kicking
their heels in air and racing back ana IOrth from See
delight in new freedom
We had the pleasure, some weeks ago. OF listening to
one of our distinguished tOWnSWOmen, Dr. hate NaAeI
Barrett IN an ADDRESS on her legislative experience at
Richmond the past winter 1t was more than ehJOyaOe:
ii was enIightenng. In the MAN, we agreed WIN the
speaker. But of her remarks serves 10 Illustrate
tOrcby contention that women must be content 70
learn many things by experience. Dr. Barrett Staleu
that she wished could all the laws on our statute
books and re-wre them herself. We have heard exactly
the same wish uttered by distinguished labor leader
The fact is that our laws are rooted in word and
phraseOIogy as far back as Runnymede. What may
seem tautOogy and SenSeeSS repetition is the pruning the
trimming ana the migrating from centuries Oh expert
ence thousands of judicial decisions from men learned
in the law tens of thousands OF attacks on the constfc
ton and Interpretation OF word phrase and sentence by
the sharpes and keenet neectS, trained Tor that very
purpose have resulted in system OF jurisprudence I'M
rvaed in the Word-the English and American statute
law Our own law is founded upon the law Of England
In fact some of our states today by statute, declare the
Common or unWrten law of England to prevail except
where specifically altered or amended by Legislative enact
ment Law but cryStazed custom, for the most part
anyway.
The most important committee in any legislative body
is the so-caled committee judiciary. 1t Is this group
of men who must put into words the will OF the people
Now words are at best but imperfect means OF Trans
hitting thought. thousand minds may have the same
thought but no two minds would express II IN the same
language Still more extraordinary hardly any two peO-
he
group of words in the way AS there are no TWO
faces normally alike in the whole world, so there are no
two temperamentS exactly alike Language Is largely
matter of temperament however Identical the ABSTRACT
thought.
For this reason lawyers who are trained other
set of men to make language precise exact and accurate
in its EXPRESSION properly placed on the judiciary
Ignorant and unthmng people often com
plain of the fact that lawyers frame laws; but they
do not know the facts They do not know that perhaps
every word on our statute books has cost the blood and
tears of countless itigants who have suffered by reason
of other and wagner words that have failed to convey the
ideas Of justice for which they were meant
1t is not in the power of to draft code Of laws
de noyO he must base them on the experience OF centuries
past he must follow phrase and precedent or he IS Ike
2 mariner without compass We have seen some Of the
laws framed by farmers and merchants and mechanics III
the days when the pOpuiSS In the majority III some
of the western states And ridiculous Jumbe OF
words confusion of ideas and ncoherent mass of unte
Igibe stuff masking as law, 1t would be difficult TO 1lnu
You often hear it said doubtless have said it your
seIf-"Oh, can't express mysel-you know what l
mean" You perhaps remember what Taleyrand SAID
Language was given us 10 conceal our thoughts NO
one knows the difficulty of expression better than the
great writer's whose business it is to deal with words and
ideas Shakespeares consummate genius consists in his
mastery of language. Christopher Pearse Cranch has
expressed this idea beautifully Thought Is deeper than
ali speech feeling deeper than all thought souls to sous
can never teach what unto themselves is taught
History shows one striking instance Of genius of
the highest order Of intellect proposing to make new
code Of laws This was Napoleon, and his code in use
today in France and all the LatinAmerican countries as
well as in our own state of Louisiana, the result But
he first summoned all the great lawyers Of France and
formed them into council and their labors consisted
chiefly in the recodfcatiOn of all the prior laws of the
colntrN. ENnn Nanoenn dared not attemnt to make 2