Hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1843-1845, 1845-01-23

Messrs EDITORS: Ill The last Ga.
zetie under the head OF "an Elective
Judiciary" appears an editorial article
Of some length advocating the election
Of Judges by the people, as provided
by our new Constitution. In the edi.
,orial par. Of that article no particular
reason is assigned for the proposed Ju.
dietary System, but an extract is taken
from the Missouri Republican, advoca..
ing that system, and the editor of the
Gazette comments leng,hily upon wha:
he is pleased to call Inconsistency in
the Wings. Il is true that in Missouri
the Wing party generally advocate, for
certain reasons, the election Of Judges
by the people, and it is also true, I've
are glad to know that it is so,) thai
in Iowa most of the Wings are oppos.
ed TO that feature in our Constitution.
From this. the editor very grayely con.
cludes that "Whiggery in Missouri
would seem TO be one thing, and Wing.
gerry in Iowa another" LIE! us see
wha, this argumen. proves. As The
Wings i'll Missouri are in favor Of The
elective judiciary system, the Demo
would be no contest. The Wings in
Iowa are opposed 10 tina. system and
the Democrats in favor Of it: so Tia, if
the Wings are inconsis,en,, the Demo-,
Gratis are equally inconsistent; and We
can reply. arguing upon the principle
of the Editor of The Gazette. that De.
mccsacy ,could seem to be one thing
in Missouri and Democracy IN I,wa
another. The Editor, then, gaius no.
thing by his grand flourish about til.
inconsistency OF the Whig-. While
he is SO eager To Catch al any seeming
inconsistency of the opposite party, he
should endeav0r first to reconcile tho
many Inconsistencies Of his own party
While he seeks to pluck The mote from
his brothers eye. lie should remember
the beam that is in his own eve.
But the. Editor is mistaken il he
thinks that party motives induce the
Wings to oppose this feature Of our
Constitution. They, with a number
of Democrs ats, claim to act upon this
question independent. of party consids.
ralions. They claim 10 act upon prn.
ciples above party purposes. They
claim that party prejudices should no,
influence The minds Of the people Of
Iowa, in making up their decision on
this momentons question; and they pro.
test against any attempt TO make i!
party question. Neither is /. from any
want Of confidence in the virtue and
intelligence Of the people, that the pro-
posed judiciary system meets with op'
position. The opponents of tina. sys.
tenn are led to believe tina. if adopted,
less competent and more ambitious and
designing men will fill the Offices o.
Judges-,hat Partially will mark their
decjsions-,hat Justice will be re!ard-
ed-that the weak will not be protect.
ed against the powerful.
| Let US look, for moment, at the
operation Of the proposed system Of
electing Judges by the people. lmag'
inc to yourselves, Messrs Editors, .
candidate for the Judgeship, mounted
on store box in the street, on stump
in the public highway, or most prooa'
bly, on whiskey barrel in a grog shop
haranguiDg the dear people on bis love
Of Juslice-his9 intimate acquaintance
with the fundamental principles OF law
his familiarity with the PractIce .,
Courts-his great adherence Of gu
rules and technicali,ies--and generaily
upon the peculiar and superior quslln-
cations Of himself, their humble ser
vant.) The orator informs his respect
ed and beloved audience, that ne DE-
, lieves majority should in all cases,
rule, that il elected TO the oiilce 10
seeks, he will rigidly adhere to the ooc.
.rins of instruction by the people, o"
constituents, and winds UP, BY saying
THAT he has chartered the shop Tor m'
lc anvsss, and any friend feeling so o'
I posed, can call At the bar and otdS