Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-02-27

On the Bill providing for another
Coarenfion. an case The C0nSfatu-
ton should be rejected.
CONCLUDED
LIST. The electors cannot have the
means of knowing who. OF all the per-
sons within their judicial district, will
make the best Judge. Of the twenty
four hundred voters in Racine county,
what one Of them knows who in Wal
worth county would make the best
Judge, or who in Rock county, or who
in Green county? No one of them.
sir, has any opinion on the subject
From my long residence in the coun-
ty, from the nature Of my business,
from my public avocations. | think
have had as good means of ascertain
ing as any of them, yet if the selec-
ton was TO be made from any Of those
counties, could not now make it.
Such is not the case with political Of
fees. Members of the Legislature
are generally elected from the counties
in which they reside, and have gener-
ally held other Offices, such as magis-
trates, supervisors, or have become
otherwise generally known. Candid
ates for Congress or State offices, have
generally either been members of the
Legislature, or have distinguished
themselves in some capacity, or they
can make themselves known by popu-
lar address. But frequently the per-
son who would make the best Judge, is
the very one who is the least known to
the community; for it is by no means
the case that successful lawyers will
always make good judges. On the
other hand, the Governor knows long
beforehand that he is to make the ap-
poiutment-he has the time and means
to inquire into the qualifications of
those proposed for the office-he can
ascertain the opinions of all those who
have had the greatest opportunities for
Judging cf those qualifications, and it
will be a part Of his official duty, for
which he will be paid and held respon-
sible, to make the best selection.
ed. The Judges, although elected by
the people, will not be selected by
them. They will be nominated by
district conventions. You will have
caucusses, where the members Of one
party will choose delegates to a coun-
ty convention, which will send dele
gates to district convention. Those
who make the nominations will be the
representatives. of one party of the
people, in the second remove,
while the Governor is the direct
representative of the whole peo-
pie. Now is it not notorious, in our
system of politics, that the nomination
Of the dominant party, in nine cases
out of ten, decides the election, and
does not then the convention virtually
select the judge, and not the people'
True. the people at the polls will have
the choice between two or three NOM
nees, but it may be sort Of Hobson's
choice after all. If all those who had
marked qualifications for the Office
could be candidates, and the electors
had the opportunities of ascertaining
those qualifications, and there were no
party or other sinister influence to op-
crate upon their minds, the people
would most certainly select the best
man. and | should have the utmost
confidence in their choice. IF i. is
said that this objection applies equally
to the election of political Offices there
are various reasons which DESTROY its
weight, and besides there are para
mount considerations why those Offices
should be elected by the people.
Sd. In politics, we often hear the
maxim, .Principles and not men,
Suppose person to be nominated for
the Legislature who is utterly unfit
for the station. many party men would
vote for him, because his vote in the
Legislature might change from one
party to the other the political power
of the State, and if a States Senator
was TO be elected, of the United States.
II is this consideration which causes
political parties to sustain their can
dldates so unanimously, and sometimes
too. to overlook their best men and
nominate those who will be available,
although they may be merely quiet,
inofensive men, without any force Of
character. Now in the selection of
Judges, the maxim should be directly
the reverse, 'Men and not principles
No matter wha; the judges political