Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-07-31
BURLINGTON HAWK-EYE.
For the Hawk-Eye,

For the Hawk-Eye.
/ ihe friends Of Judge Mason contend that a
knowledge OF the law is All indispensable qualf-
cation IN candidate for The office Of county Judge
The duties of the Office have heretofore been per
formed by the judge of probate and county COM
'"'ssloners anI yet ii has not been supposed that
| any great legal requirements were necessary in
'he discharge of their respective duties. These
officers nj some cases it is true to consult with
lawyers as to some points of law; the same thing
! mas probably been done by the sheriff, clerk of
the court, and in fact by all the county officers.
let no one has heretofore advocated the doctrine
That none others than lawyers were competent
to the discharge Of the duties of the most difficult
OF the county Offices. 1t isvery convenient how
ever, at the present time having legal gentleman
Tor candidate, to set up this argument in favor
Oh nus election. Indeed it is about the only one
mat can be mustered in his support. lie possess
es no sympathy IN common With the great mass
OF The people. Claiming TO be a democrat in pol
tics, he was in favor of the members of the con-
vention to form oar constitution serving without
pay; thus excluding all but the wealthy from a
voice in the formation of our constitution Pro-
Tossing obedience to the voice of the people he
has never let an opportunity pass of thwartns
their wishes and setting their expressed will at
defiance. The regular democratic candidate for
the Office of superintendent of public instruction
he was fairly beaten by Mr.. Harlan and vet
certificate of election was withheld from the ge,
tleman upon grounds the most frivolous and con-
temrhble and which the honest of all parties re-
pud'ated and condemned. 1t may be asked what
had Judge Mason to do with the withholding of
Mr.. Harlan's certificate, or with the further pro-
ceedings in that case? answer, much. VIII
any one suppose that so important step was Ia
ken by the secretary of state without consulting
the prominent men Of his party in reference to the
matter. Judge Mason was undoubtedly consult
ed in the matter aud was probably one of the prime
movers in It.
second attempt was made to defeat the will
OF The people upon grand scale, and might add.
successful one, IN the abstraction of the Kanes-
vile poll books from the possession of the COM
missioners clerk, of Poawatamie county, thus
depriving Mr.. Miller of something like Eve hun
dred votes and giving his seat in Congress to Mr..
VIM Thompson 4 minority candidate 1t is
true that Judge NJ may have had nothing to do
with purloinins the poll books from the Potta-
wa'tame officer; much of the largest share of the
praise due for that light fingered performance
may properly belong to another, But the stolen
poll books were found in Judge Mason's posses
sion, and aHprehead that the people will draw
no very nice distinction between the one who
purlo!ned them and the one who retained them
for the purpose of perpetrating the wrong and de-
feating their expressed will. These things are
fresh in the minds OF the people, and with what
show of propriety democratic convention could
have brought forward the name of Judge Mason,
for an office requiring nan ot upright honesty
and unbendng integrity, am at loss to coniec-
ture. Bat the fact is, Judge Mason was not the
choice of a majority of that convention. Had The
delegates been left TO make their own choice he
would not have been selected as candidate But
the wire workers proclaimed that he a,cac of all
the candidates possessed the illegal" qualiica-
tons, and by this means his nomination was eff
fec t.
Judge NJ is understood to be The author of that
portion of the law in the new code creating the
Office OF county Judge. Whether the worthy Judge
in the formation of the law had an eve TO the hon
ors or emoluments of the Office in question is
known only TO himself and 10 his political friends
Bat whatever he or they may think of the matter
viii make b1tlitlc difference with the people
The people will decide that the office haytn:, to
do with the finances of the county and the estates
Of widows and orphans can quite as safely be en-
trusted to the present faithful and elicient Judge
of probate Mr. ]. p. WiShtman who has b. EN- tried
but never found recreant to his trust, as to one
of greater legal reputation but who does not pos
one half of the practical adaptation 10 the ,r-
ties of the office, and around whose character for
impartial,ty hangs the Potawatame poll books,
and other objections before enumerated.