Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1879 — Greeley on Lawyers. [ARTICLE]

Greeley on Lawyers.

Indianapolis Journal. “Mr. Greeley," said Partridge, “this is Mr. Denslow, a young attorney." Greeley uttered a short grunt of recognition, but did not even look around. I, embarrassed, shrunk away to one eorner and took a chair. He went on around the room looking at (pictures and what not, and in about five minutes, adien his back was turned on me, and I thought he had forgotten me he suddenly, without looking at me, said: “Hem' So you’re an attorney, are you?’’ I confessed it. “I hate lawyers,” he exclaimed emphatically. “I hate lawyers, they do more mischief than their heads are worth!" “I suppose they area necessary evil," I suggested deprecatingly. “Wholly unnecessary," he insisted. “I suppose you will acknowledge,” I said, “that they promote good order and remove impediments to good government," “Just the contrary! just the contrary!" he squeaked, in his odd falsetto; “they cause disorder, and they are the chief obstacles to good government."

I thought the man was crazy. “Perhaps you will tell me," I suggested, “how debts wok Id be collected without lawyers?" “Don’t want ’em collected! don,t want ’em collected!’’ he squeaked; “if A lets B have his property without payment, I don’t see why C, D, E, F, and all the rest of the alphabet should be called on to serve as a police to get it back! No debt should be collected bylaw. It’s monstrous! Let a man trust another imu at his own risk. Even a gambler Jmys his debis that he isn’t legally obliged to pay, and calls them debts of honor; but meu will put their property out of their hands to prevent the legal collection of their grocery bills. Abolish ail laws for the collection of debt, and that would abolish most of you lawyers—good riddance!"