Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-04-24
For the Grant County Herald.
CAN Elective JndiCiary.o

VII. GotSO L IOiu tlo ICAt SAoSOA ~
IA Member Of the Bar" please permit
one Of the People to hold forth for little
while, and although the conclusions at
which we may arrive may widely differ
twill be but further proof Of the saying
that "to err is human !" but as to which
party Is in error let others decide.
Whoever that "Member Of the Barr
may be he is evidently believer in the
doctrine Of total Gepravity, and would be
the last man to hold another innocent un-
til proven guilty. Hear him: "Had |
power to lay open the storehouses Of in
iquity which the hearts Of too many con-
ceal, SIC. y beginning with the quota
ton that ''the human heart is deceitful
~.ove ali shines.. and desperately wick
ed. but bear in mind the ipou;ru !.
made IN connection with the assertion
l''Who can know it ?'' No ssMember Of
the Bar" nor any other man is suppo-
sed capable Of judging of the secret and
hidden springs which move men to &C,
any further than that they may fine
within their own hearts, motives which
might impel them to like action and vel
this judgement is not always Just though
styled righteous. But l will let thi.
part Of the subject pass. ga Membe,
OF the Bar says further, that our iudg-
es are elected from among the people, par
taking of their likes and dislikes and in
every way untitled to administer jus.
|tice. Will he please tell us from whence
Judges shall be taken if not from among
the people? Were it possible that we
might obtain our Judges from among the
practitioners of the Higher Law in the
Court of Heaven, and Deity be the APP
pointing power, confess the mode pre-
ferable to even election by the people,
He would have Judges appointed by the
"highest functionaries of the State.'-
The highest functionaries of the State
are elected by the people, and of course
must be, SO long as we profess to be Re-
publicans, and if it be Objectionable to
create Judges by election the same OBJ
lection applies as well 10 the election of
the appointing power by the people,
The "Member Of the Bar" imagines q
case let me also suppose one: Suppose
an individual not very we'll qualified but
very influential makes application to the
"highest functionaries" for the judge.
snip; suppose too that he is of the sam.
political party and has been ms trumen.
tai in their election, don't you think h.
would be likely to get ftp II is true
that multiplicity of laws and the inee.
nuity of crime have rendered the terms
[of law and justice as distinct in thei,
meaning as right and wrong that the Of:
fice Of Judge requires to be filed by ,
man well posted up in all bubbles and
technicalities of the bar, and at the same
time be man Of sterling integrity and
unimpeachable honor. l verify believe
such men will find their way into office
oftener by election than otherwise. IT'S
easier to corrupt individuals, though they
may be the sshighest functionaries Of
the State, than the masses.
| In my humble opinion the error lies
as yet untouched. Pass Prohibitory
Liquor Law and abolish the foul system
of Caucussing and men Of modest, worth
will find their way into the Offices now
filled BY aspiring demagogues, but don''
abridge the power of the ballot-box.
I am well aware my thoughts are
clumsily expressed-not polished by
constant attrition with each other long
before being given to the world, moi
should have entered the lists with ga
Member of the Bar" had any other wri-
ter volunteered. The fact is, ] consider
it an attempt to place the Judgeship be-
yond the control Of the parties interest
ed, j. e., the people. Twill require
different and stronger arguments than
those offered by ga Member of the Barr
to convince your readers of the necessi-
ty Of appointing Judges instead Of elect
ing them ; and as you are yourself oppo-
sed to the election of Judges, perhaps
you may feel called upon to give them.
FRED.
Waterloo, April l6, 1854.