Oroville daily Butte record., 1857-08-11
For the Butte Record.
Judge Lewis.

without doubt get some votes, nd some Democrat t.
may be led astray, under the belief that His Honor
Is much abused Before they consent to cast their
votes against the nominee Of the Democratic party.
let them consider how far Judge Lewis grounds of
complaint against the Democracy are tensble.
In 1851, the Democracy nominated and elected
Judge Lewis to the State Senate and his term of Of
fce extended to the beginning OF 1853 In June SO
he asked Of the Democracy the Office of County
Judge. and they nominated and elected him TO that
Office, which term expires in 1858 In the period oil
seven years, the Judge will have been out of Office
from January, 1853, until the election of that ear
and this not the Democracy. fault, (nor the
Judges for that the frst election that was held
after the Senatorial term had expired.
The Judges prese mt Office, have said, extends to
April 1853 and the District Judge of this District
enters upon his duties in January previous thereto
Is it not preposterous in him to dema nd this latter
Office, when his present Office will splice halfa
year upon the other! The most clamorous Office
seeker is usually content if the ofi:e sought COM
mences at the expiration of one held. 1t would
have looked better had he resigned. before asking
his friends to prefer his name in imitation Of the
example set for him by our first County Judge. Bat
even this would have been in bad taste to throw
away an Office he had sought with no better excuse
than that he wanted one that would pay better. 1t
would seem to be his duty to serve out his term of
Office, and not spurn away the remnants of a mag
nidcent gift. oblgng other person to take it,
with better for it than the fact tn t. the
peop'e have another in store Might not the same
greediness induce him TO spurn the District Judge
ship, and cs-t it from him, whenever the Office of
Congressman Governor, or United States Senator
might be in the gift of the people, and grasp for
and all of those Offices in turn.
Was it not in bad taste to ask this office of the
Convention! Is it not intolerabe arrogance to de-
mand it in spite of their decision Is it not saying
to the whole people that he will have such Offices as
he wants, and they dispose of such remnants as
he chooses to throw away? Will the whole people,
any party suffer themselves to be treated in this
way?
What has become Of that time honored principle
of every RESI- ectabe political party, that prohibits
person filling office, from seeking another
office? Did not Gen Cass resign the Office of United
States Senator, as soon as he permitted his friends
to put forward his pIetensions for the Presidency?
But why cite examples? No well-nformed man is
ignorant that this principle is as old Jefferson's
time No better illustration of the evils attending
the violation of it, than this very case Of Judge
Lewis. Can Judge Lewis deny that, on Monday
August 4th, the first day of the County Court for
Butte County, that instead of being at the County
seat, ready to discharge the duties he is paid sal
airy for doing. he electioneering errand to
Plumas county, to get the Democratic paper there
to hoist his name instead of that of w. T. Sexton,
while parties Gtgant and witnesses, were dancing
attendance where the Court should have been, but
was not? Are the people willing to pay salary for
such purpose? Better far to have Judge, and
then the people would not be to this enormous ex
pense of attending court where no court to be
found Judge Lewis is not eligible to the Office of
District Judge, and there cannot be doubt that the
Supreme Court would so decide The duties of the
two Offices County and District Judge, could not be
discharged by the same person and at the same
time, and we might go through with an election
and if Judge Lewis received majority of the votes
we should have no District Judge Our Jail crowded
with prisoners at the expense of man hundred dol
lars per month to the county, dockets groaning
with cases untried, both civil aud criminal, and we
dependant upon occasional visit from neigh
boring District.
| But suppose the Supreme Court should be guilty
of great an absurdity asto declare JUdge Lewis
eligible, have any assuronce that he would not
after term two get tired of the Office, and con-
clude that he would prefer seat Congress or the
Office of Governor, and then instead of having to
visit Pumas to make arrangements, he might be
obliged to visit every county in the State. and we
would afflicted with evils in the District Court
than in the County Court. But his fol-
lowers will say, we will obtain his assurance that he
will do no such thing How many obtained his as
would abide the decision of the Democratic Con-
vention?
But they will say that it was not right to rule Mr.
Dickey out of the Convention. right TO pre-
fer Mr. Bendle and MIR. Urtun from Bidwell precinc
to their opponents, who were friends of Judge Lewis
| Now, will not rely upon any authority Judge Low
case The first thing that was done in that conyep-
tion to determine who the delegates to it were
| The ma jority of the Convention determined who
| should be the delegates, aud does Judge Lewis, or
any of his friends, pretend that anybody else has
any right to etermine who entitled 70 seats in
that Convention! But aside from the absurd posi-
ton that Judge Lewis could dictate to n majority OF
| tho convention who its members should be- | can
show beyond doubt that every one of his followers
that in that convention, sanctioned the exclu-
sion Of every member that was excluded, aud the
| admission of every member that was admitted. Did