The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-11-13
HalI NOS EIerfcd.

Judge Hall, who thought to play Jhdgt
and politician at one and the same time, has
probably slipped up on his calculstiols.''----
The fourth article Of the Constitution of Ohio.
fourteenth section, reads thus (:
\ " The judges Of the supreme court, and oi
! the court Of common pleas, slall, at stated
times, receive for their services such compen-
sation as may beprovded by law, which shall
not be diminished or increased during their
term of utfice but, they shall receive no fees
4 or petqpisites nor hold any other etice Of
profit or trust, under the authority Of this
state, or the United S ates. All votes for Ell
her Of them, for any elective Office, under the
authority, ofStbis state, given by the General
Assembly, or The people, shall be void
The intention Of the trainers of that article
in tie constitution, is evident A judge of
the supreme court, or of the court Of com
mon pleas, is not competent to receive votes
for any but a Judicial Office, within the gift Of
the people Of the State. The only ccnstruc-
ton by which the votes cast for Hall can be
counted, will be to regard the election Of a
Congressman as being without the jurisdiction
of the State. This will not answer. Indeed
it is scarcely entitled to the appellation Of " a
strained construction" as the constitution of
the United States expressly provides that the
several States shall regulate the election of
their R representatives. in the National AS
sembly, reserving to Congress the power to
modify those regulations when necessary
The fourth section Of the first article of the
constitution is as follows: .......r.., ....
" The times, places, aud manner Of holding
elections for senators and representatives shall
be prescribed in each state by the legislature
thereof; but the congress may at any time by
law make or alter such regulations. except as
to the places Of choosing Seniors" ..-
We do not claim to be constitutional law
yer, nor do we suppose that constitutions are
made expressly for that class of people. We
presume they are made for the common peo
pie, and are designed to have a plain mean
ing, which will demand no constructions or far
fetched opinions. Under the plain reading of
the constitution, it is our belief that not one
man in thousand would say that Hall was
authorized to receive votes for Congress while
holding the Office of Judge. Judge Corwine
and his friends took this view of the section
of the constitution above quoted, and before
he could ask his frien1s in the Legislature 10
vote to send him to the United States Senate,
he resigned his seat on the Supreme bench.
That section Of the constitution was expressly
designed 10 throw around the judiciary pro-
lection against the corruptions Of party poll
tica, and to do this it was necessary to dis
qualify them for entering into political contests,
as candidates, while occupying seat upon
the bench. 1t was designed to prevent just
such dssppointments and losses as the peo-
pie Of this district have been subjected to by
Halls refusing to resign his Judgeship, and
failing TO attend to its duties, in order that he
might make speeches, tIeat his friends, and
perform the general duties If political dem
agogue in his congressional district.
We hope the Governor will be more care
full about issu ng "papers" than Hall was in
this place last year.
P. S.-Since the above was in type we have
received the Toledo Commercial of the 10th,
containing a lengthy article, signed "R=-
publican" which the editor says "was writ
ten by prominent and able member of the
legal profession in Wood county, who is warm
Iy Republican in his politics." Hall is wise
in securing Republican counsel in Wood coun-
ty when enveloped in trouble, for if they can
not pilot him safely to port, he may "give
up the ship" without asking any more ques-
tons. Strong minds may make white appear
black, and black white, but beyond appear
dnce they cannot go. Neither can the author
of the article in the Commercial succeed in
oblitera!ing the plain meaning of our consti-
tuition. After summing up" for effect, he
wisely comedies all that is claimed for the
language of the Constitution. He seeks to
avoid its force by claiming that the section of
the constitution above quoted, conflicts with
the constitution of the United States. Here
is what he says: .....
4" The constitution of the United States pre-
scribes what the qualifcato of member
Of Congress shoald be, and while it stands
unalered and unrepealed no State can add
to or diminish from the qualifications therein
precribed."
Certainly not. But let us see what those
qualifications are. Section Of Article first
is as follows: ..r. .......
"No person shall be representative who
shall not have attained to the age of twenty. FIVE
years, and been citizen of the United States,
and who shall not, when elected, be an in
habitant of the Safe in which he shall be
chosen"
This clause, which is the one evidently al
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