Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1853-07-20
HUbbeRl TriaH-Death Penalty
AbOlished-Maine Liquor Law
30 be Submitted.

The Legislature Of Wisconsin met in Spe-
cial Session at Madison a month or more ago
to try Judge HDBBELL, on sundry charges of
high misdemeanors. Some say the session was
held on purpose to acquit him, rather than to
give him fair trial some say the meeting
was farce, gotten up by those whose services
fall under $3.50 day at home. The session
is closed and Judge HUBBELL is cleared, as all
knew he would be, for what good ever came
out of frolic? Even though the testimony
against his Honor were as clear as gravity and
liquid cavendish, what signifies, when man
of HUBBELL's calibree is brought before ba-
tillion of militia By virtue of law technical
lities HUBRELL was cleared, else his convic-
ton were as fixed as BELsHAzzAR's sentence
in writing on the wall, as proven from the bal
lettings of his peers. For the information of
our readers, we give the latest rendering of 'the
writing on the WALL as applied to the HUB
BELL case: F1ekeP-thou art weighed in the
balance, and found wanting, therefore, shalt
thou be a ruler in Israel.
An Elective Judiciary is a wide departure
from the old and time-honored usage of APP
pointing by the Executive power. A wider
stretch, by way of experiment, was never made
in America in a single act, except that of a
Legislature ordaining itself into High Court
and Jury to try Judge whom the people had
chosen to try their causes, and settle their dis
putes and fights. We can see no more of sys-
TEN in the election of judge to try the peo-
pie, and the election of jury by districts to
try judge than we can see Of system in pile
oil brush or hay-stack. Judges elected in
pnrt by those whose every day business is to
violate the law, such as unlicensed liquor-se.-
lers, timber pirates, and law-defying mobs -
Bah we would as soon trust ourselves in a
powder-magazin suspended over a volcano, as
within The jurisdiction Of some judges we read
of. Why not call public meeting at once to
try every accused? Why not jump back 1000
years, and disentomb the Athenlan law; scratch
the name Of the one we most despise upon an
oyster-she,l, deposit the shell in box at the
market, and on a given day count over the
names, to find out who is doomed to perpetual
Punishment by popular fury! Elective Judi
Charles Pusllanimous, semi-efeminate boy
idea, that sprang from the phrensied brains OF
STRIPPING lawyerS--as Minerva from the head
of Jupiter; an idea with no tangible meaning
by which to distinguish it in heaven or on
earth! An idea not modern. but heather; not
civilized but rude as the first rudiments of So
icety.
After the great Legislative court and jury
had made out case as clear as mud in favor Of
the peoples Judge, then they went to work to
demolish that ancient law that had stood for "a
ac IN
and tyrantswe mean Capital Punishment. 1900
how their sympathies got excited for dear
humanity's sake! This innocent early belo-
we'd class of bloody cut-throats, and rebellious
anomalies in human form--in practice devils,
must be dealt with upon the reform practice
as the steam doctors say. How e'oquently they
reasoned in favor of Imprisonment for life in
the penientiary, as salutary substitute for
hanging They never dreamed of applying
the same arguments in favor of abolishing the
penlteutiary. A subsequent Legislature will
abolish imprisonment upon the same pretexts
precisely, thai the Legislature of 1853 abolish
ed the death-peaalty. Mark that.
Fearing to act the part Of bold representa-
tives Of Tie sovereign will; dreadlng to decide
upon question wherein their constituents diff
fer in conscience, and looking to the future
wan ''N' " SOAtuiy LAY Vi uOpes II their Oplfl-
ions are forced out upon this boisterous ques-
ton of abolshing the liquor traffic-the Legis-
iaIufe of 1853 passed an act evading the point
upon the Maine Liquor Law, by telling the
people to lesislate and say what their repre-
entatives feared 10 say g tell us sovereigns
are you in favor of The Maine Law; if vol
are, then we are" Thus, the people are tolt
to do their own legisating, when the law says
. the law making power is vestad in the egis.
lature." We know the peoples vote won
make the law directly, but their vote is inten.
ded to screen candidates from coming out bold
ly ''for" or "agaiast'' the Maine Law. TIL,
candidate this fall will say, " if a majority o
the people IRE for the Maine Law, then am
but if majority oppose it, then oppose it,
We don't say the act is cowardly evasion of
plain question, but when Representatives ar,
ent to make laws, it is sort of twisting rouut
the corner for them 10 tell the people to max,
their. own laws. Why not assemble the peo
pie to vote on every law before it goes into eff
feet? Why not dispense with legislation a
once, and let the masses meet to make all thei
laws?