, 1859-04-02

T1IE sUFEItIoK COURT BILL.
Not Il little curiosity is felt by Republicans
as to Mr. Bakers object III provoking ill-ieel-
ing and strife in the ranks Of lis own party.
1t is thought by many-lndccd. VIC may say,
1,y tic solid mass Of the Republicans Of Cook
County-tlat his course upon the election Of
Judges Of the Superior Court, is poor return
to his political friends fur 1lle honor which they
conferred upon linn by giving lin seat in the
House Of Representatives. 1t is the unlSer-
SIT Impression amll. them tl1at if Mr.. Baker
gave any pledges at Springfield to support the
election If a Democrat for the Office Of Judge.
eud tastc, ut least, TO say nothing Of political
consistency, would Indicate the pr"prctr of
rcdecmius that pledge by silent vote And
they Furthermore lclicvc, that lad the entire
Cook County delegation given such pledge, It
would be III no respect binding upon their COLI
stitueuts who sent them to Springfield for othtr
purposcs-and that having in Il regular way
taken the subject under consideration III con-
vcntion, and made nominations for the Judge
slips and Clcrkships, it is III unwarFantablc
presumption OIL the part ofany prolcsscd mem
her Of the party to set up his will or lis ind.
yiaual pledge against the will Of his party.
Immediately alter tic nominations hy the
Republican Convention, Mr.. Dakcr entered
upon an extraordinary course Of epistolary III
bors 1t first he asserted without ;sdduclng
any testimony as to the Gct, that Mr. Van II.
Higgins had given pledges at Springfield to
support the election Of one Democratic and
Que Republican Judge. To this Mr.: Higgins
responded iy iii emphatic dcnial Of the state-
mcnt. Mr.. Baker tllcn produced letters froln
that the srritefs had given pledges Of that car
acler; and If they conveyed al impression tliat
Mr.. Higgins was i'll any sense party to the
understanding, tllat impression WAS entirely
removed tic next day i,y notes from the
same parties 10 Mr.. Higgins, expressly
cxoncrsling lin }rom the iml'utatim Tllls
WAS true Of ;al1 Mr.. Bakers witnesses but one
Mr. Mcrrirls. To that gentleman Mr.. llig-
gins did not clIosc 10 appeal. Hc |Ial l'cen
at Springfield willie tic two Hills for Superior
Court were pending lie went there to lobby
tic passage IF the one wl1icl, was thrown out
hy the Committee. On lis return to Chicago,
he stated to n prominent Democrat that lie
could rct no pledges from Mr.. Higgins; anl
because lie could not, l,c lad len with the
Committee IN amendment to the bill. making
members Of the Legislature Ineligible to hold
af:ra u,,slns IT,
Having GAilcd thus sisnally to establish lis
Charge ay;liI,st lis c'll.ayur, Mr.. Baker re-
manned Silt.nt until yesterday, When his crs-
tolarY lal'ors were resumed. This time lie
brings l,cw witnesses upon the st:,.d-Mc$srs.
Henry, CaArcy and Bridges d! WhtrS!lle.
HurlLut, of Boouc. and David Sl,snrt, If Couk
The four first NAMED gentlemen express Il l~-
lief That snmc arrangement wt$ nlade ly
somebody, ut SpringlirId whereby tho Demo-
Gratis expected /" yet "'lc If tl1c 1uigeshlls:
hut they do mol pretend ,o say that Mr.. liiS-
gins was Il party t., it, Mr.. Bridges las a
Vague impression ,llut Mr.. Higgins mi=lt h;lyc
l.:.l something II d. with it: hut all that l.c is
,srt'in o!, is that the Democracy would mt
l'av. suffered tl'c lill IN pass II they had not
expected 10 make something out of it. The
oillcr witness. Mr.. Stuart, is more definite
hut VIC are authorized by Mr.. Higgins 10 say
that that gentleman is mistaken III his reroIec.
tiun Of t1,c conversation alluded tn il lis let
ter. Mr. Stuart was 1T Springfield Oh otlcr
ltpk after, hut it was not the Superior
Court l,l His conversation with Mr.. Hig-
gins nt the time and place indicated, Wis mainly
with reference tn the measure which he vas
especially looking AFTER and l,c alluded to the
Superior Court i'il1 only to express 1!.r htlH
that Mr. Higgins would lie elected Judge
,!ntlcr it.
Let it he born III mimi that Mr.. Stuart il !:
hittcr political opponent Of Mr.. Higgins: that
IN uslc N Mr.. Nakcrs Republican witnessc:
has sustained linn in his charges against lii
stlcs, pledge, every Democratic member Of tlt
!. Legislature would lie coss,izant Of the fact
while the only one of them on w}om Mr.
Baker has called to testify, yiz. Senator Fullc
expressly declares 1llat he is knowing to III
s11cll pledge III tic part Of Mr.. Higgins
IT, as Mr. Bakcr :.ssetts, the hill woul,
not ilnvc~ brte'Me 81 law had not th
pledge hccn given To the nensocrat
Members If the Legislature, why has he no
tsllicd on some IF these members who yotet
ft,r it, to sustain his Charge, instead Of dr:lwin
out letters fr.'n outsiders who know nntu
definite rs ,o the facts? There were fort,
Democrats in the House and fourteen in til
Senate. Surcly, out OF so large a number III
Baker could lave got one witness to test;
circumstantiully about this pledge on the par
Of Mr.. Higgins, If hc gave one. Our word f,
il, there is not one If tic 1itv-fo that Won!
not gladIy, if the Elcts would warrant it. vol,sl
tccr this testimony for tic sale Of drfeati,,
Mr. Higgins They are no more anxious K
the triumph. Of the Republican ticket than "
Baker.
In the Senate tic bill w..s violently oppose
by Democratic members. They spoke again,
it, voted against it, and did everything i'll the
rowcr to defeat it, 1t was saved only t|lrouy
tic personal Efforts and influence Of Mr.. .Jut
who secured for it tic votcs Of Mcssrs Ku
kendall and Duckmastcr, and Of Mr.. Blodgc
who secured Mr. Martins vote. These tilf,
Democrats, ior other than political reason
alone united with the Republican Senators
voting for tic l'l Does this look like :
understanding between the two partic
WHY, even il such All agreement as Mr. Bak
says Wis made, had been entered into VIII
the bill was lcfore the Hou+e, the opn,slt
which it met in tho Senate was Ill open q,
palpable violation Of the agreement on i
part Of tue Democrats, completely absolvi
tho Republicans from further obligation to {
serve it.
1t is time for Mr. Baker to learn that
Republicans: Of Cook county arc capable
managing their own uflirs-tha1 rs he had
authority to sell them for consideration
Springfield 80 likewise his efforts to cal
such a sale into effect is as arrogant as it
:. ridiculous that the determination Of
Cook County Republican Convention is MI
more likely to influence the artion and y4es
the party than any jack-knIfe trading in VII
he mny have engaged with the pcnocr:
while at Springfield last winter. When
Baker becomes thoroughly convinced Of tn