The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-01-28

Inc new constitution, were not contented
with laying down certain fundamental ont.
lines OF government, leaving the filing up
oil The details to the people themselves, ac-
cortling to the exigencies of the case, and
trusting to the wisdom Of posterity, but have,
as in many other instances, undoubtedly re-
lying on their own superior wisdom, laid the
legislation for the next succeeding age under
bonds, and fixed everything themselves,
even 10 the number of the judges Of the SUI
prcme court. The first section, therefore,
provides that there shall be supreme court,
circuit court, county courts and Justices of
the peace courts, excluding the establish
ment Of any other tribunals (Which might
become very necessary in the course of
twenty-five or thirty years. with the excep-
ton of city courts. '
The supreme court is limited TO thI ee in
number, and the state is divided in what is
called three grand divisions, out Of " hich the
electors of each district have to take one.
1t would be wasting time unnecessarily, to
prove the improperly Of this division. The
supreme court affects the whole state, and
the citizens of the whole state have, conse-
quently, an interest in all the members of
the court. 1t operates as a check on the free
choice of the people, and as an obstruction
to getting the most able men OH the bench.
But argument is wholly useless here. One
OF the great parties Of tho state thought this
division more favorable to its fortunes, lin
which, however, | believe they are vastly
mistakenly and Of course it commanded the
strength of the whole party. A sufficient
number Of democrats, who had conceived
peculiar notions in regard TO this matter, II II
in with that party and carried the division.
In regard to the election of the Judges by
the people, would remark, that consider
it n better mode Of appointment, than the
election of these flinctionares by the legis-
lature. lido not believe, however, that maxi
ing them, as well as the state officers cleo
tive, has given the people any substantial
power.
IL is easily TO be forcseer, that in order to
secure the interests Of the conflicting parties
the existence Of which is '.fixed fact !"
and cannot be overlooked by any statesman
nominations will be rcsOrted to. And, in
deed, where so many officers are TO be cleo
ted by the whole people Of state, il can
hardly be supposed that many individuals
can have really any knowledge of the res.
pectivc candidates, OF their qualifications.
lowed TO have no means of directly ascer-
tanning the relative merits of host Of can
didates, who perchance live hundreds of
miles off. In regard to such offices as the
President of the Union, or the Governor Of
a state, the candidates are mostly men who
have been long in public life, and who have
a widespread reputation. The same can
not well be the case with all those who offer
for the minor Offices: such as Secretary Of
State, Auditor, Treasurer, sc. Indeed it
may be laid down as a well settled political
maxim, that when constituency has no
ready means Of ascertaining the merits O!
those who claim their votes, the comforting
Of the right to vote is an empty boon. These
elections will be managed by small irrcspon-
sibe caucuses, and the people will only be
calledupon TO endorse the mandates of thesc
bodies. The judges will be elected by the
lawyers-not by the people. Demagoguos
may declaim as they please, sensible men
understand the practical operation of these
things, and see through such hollow devices,