Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-03-18
Attempt to Legislate David Wilmot Out
of Office.
From the Philadelphia Gazette, March H.,

From the Philadelphia Gazette, March Ill
An attempt is being made as many of our
readers must already know, to abolish the
thirteenth judicial district of Pennsylvania, and
annex the counties OF Bradford and SuSque-
hanna. of which it is composed, to the twenty
sixth and eleventh judicial districts, respective
Iy The motive for this action is neither more
nor less than to get rid OF Judge WimOt, the
presiding Judge ofthe thirteenth district. As
the law now stands, a presiding judge is to be
elected by the people of Bradford and Sus-
quehanna in October next, and the probability
amounts to almost a certainty that Judge
Wilmot will be the choice Of those counties -
Hence the attempt made by portion of Will
mot's political, if not personal, opponents, to
remove him from the bench by destroying his
district, and defeating the will of the people
of two counties
OF course it becomes necessary for those en-
gagged in this attempt to assign some reason
for their conduct, aud they are not slow to
charge Judge Wilmot with incompetency, with
entertaining political prejudices which which
warp and bias his mind, and with personal
habits unbecoming to an occupant of judi
cal seat For those who know anything of
Judge Wilmot, the first and last of these need
no refutaton and the second is wholly uu
sustained, so far as we are aware, by specifica-
tions. The accusation is brought in general
terms, and might as well be eveled against
any other occupant of the bench who is known
to entertain political opinions of a decid,
character Bills have lately been introduced
into the Legislature with the object Of effect
ing the changes in the courts for Bradford
and Susquehana counties, to which we allude.
In both branches these were referred to the
Judiciary committees, and the gentlemen who
appeared before these COMMITTEES failed to
specify, much less sustain, an instance of Of
fetal misconduct. or of an exhibition of undue
political bias on the part of Judge Wilmot
All this trouble comes of an elective judi
ciary. There was a time when judges held
themselves aloof from party politics The courts
of law, the seat from which justice was dis
pensed, were places from which partizanshp
was in great measure banShed. 1t is so no
longer. judicial station is made the reward
of party services, with much less regard to
the fitness of the Judge than his political ser
vices and influence And it is well if he is not
required to soil the ermine by STOPPING to the
advancement Of party and political ends
Judge Wilmot cannot be proved guilty of this,
but there are others who can. And Judge
Wimot, though innocent of the charges against
him, is made the target of venomed shafts, be-
cause he is politician as well as Judge
What is the general deduction from all
this ? Plainly it is that judges should be re-
moved as far as possible from the influence of
party. 1t is notorious that party considera-
tions are filling our courts, the final resorts
for justice, and the last refuge of practical and
constitutional liberty, with incompetent men
or at least with men who will be largely sway
ed by partisan motives and public sentiment.
The question with the bar and the public, when
vacancy occurs on the bench, is not
who is the best man to fill it, but who is
the most available in view of party interest
and ends. And when judge is once on the
bench the same feeling makes men suspicious
of him, and oftentimes unfair to him. Thus
the court loses much of that respect which
should ever appertain to it, Nothing is more
significant of public deterioration than the
gradual decline that is taking place in the re-
gard in which our courts are held. 1t is un-
deniable that our courts, from the Supreme
Court down, have lost very much of the con-
6dence once reposed in them rs conScryators
of law aud right