Sauk Rapids frontierman. [volume] (Sauk Rapids, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1860, 1859-09-29
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Judge Hal,nlin,

M ACKNOWLEDGEMENT from tho Satnt
Anshony Erprtss saving that the oficel
Of Judge should not be made partizau
question u, = fair and candid article,
and We hope II will. bssread and pondsred
over BY I'll who are in favor Of . pure|
and impartial judiciary. All we have
10 shy in regard to the matter is, that
Judge Hamlin has never been rabid
one sided politician, but thatswhile he'll
has been, and now il Democrat il i'll
we'll known that he has never endeayor-l
ed 70 obtrude his political views upon thel
public, and that ia his intercourse with
others, whether in business matters, or|
ii social life, the same trai, Of character
has ever evinced itself in the highest de-
gree. Prejudice or bigotry, II politics
Or religion, it is well known by those in
innate with him. does not enter into bis
composition and If he loses 4 singls
vote il this vicinity. it will be because
party feeling predod<inates over right. ~
But "a ! strict parry question. We cannot
see under what obligations the Repub-
lie ans are to support Mr.. Vandsrburgh
for the; . flee, as il is notorious that he
bolted the Republican nomination at the
last general election nd went for Judge
Hall for the same Office So.
We have hitherto refrained from adj
vocating the claims Of the Hon. E O.
Hamlin 70 the Office Of District Junge Of
the 4lh Judicial District, in the hope
that this Office at least. might BY mutual
consent Of both parties, be kept out d
the arena Of party politics. The cleo
ton Of the Judiciary by the people is as
yet but an experiment in the.country,
and the wisest man Of both parties have
feared for the result, In New York,
where it has been tried for some ten
years, the feeling among the best in
formed men is unduestionably,s that il
the experiment is not an entire failure, it,
at least, has not succeeded as well as was
hoped. One thing we consider as set
| tied, that if this office is to5partake oI
the partizan character, to the same ex-
tent as the others, the principle of an
elective judiciary must inevitably prove
q failure.
We observe with regret that the Re-
publican leaders are endeavoring to
make this office one Of a purely political
character, They are advocating the
claims Of Mr.. Vanderburgh. mot on the
ground that he possesses more natural
talent, higher integrity, or greater legal
ability, lat least they do not claim this
openly, but BY inuendoes and treacher-
Gus threats, but on the ground chiefly
that lie is COMMITTED to freedom; =
.pledged to sustain free principles. = 80
use his influence and position against the
slave power" &c. Now, we do not
know precisely what these leaders mean
BY these generalities and highfalntin ex-
pressions. they mean that Mr.. Van
derburgh, If elected, u pleged 70 decide.
or will decide, in a particular way in q
certain class Of cases, that is, in accord
ance with the wishes Of his party, what
ever be the law, we hesitate not to say
that he is utterly unfit for the Office,
whatever may be his legal ability. And
indeed however honest a Judge might
be, and however much determined To de-
eide Justly. lie must be more than hui
man to be able to resist the party pres
sure which might be brought to bear
upon him when party measures are at
stake, when he accepts his Office under
the statement openly made by the lead
lers and papers who advocate Republican
measures, that hisprincipal, or at least d
principal qualification which he possesses
for the Office is that =. he is pledged TO
freedom, !" il other words pledged to de-
eide for his party whenever an issue
kcomes before him in which any party
measure may be involved.
| The truth is, there are but two ques-
| tions which the voter should ask in re-
gard to- candidate for the judiciary, to
wit: - Is he honest !? Is he capablel'
And when he goes beyond this and seeks
10 know whether a Judge will use his Of
lficial position in support Of any particu-
lar political measure or party, he asks 9
question which is insulting to the candi-
date and TO which he has no right to re-
spond, that is. SO far 40 any judicial &C
tion Of his may be concerned.
Taking the two questions above stated
as those demanding the attention q
voters, we challenge tho closest scrutiny
Into the character of Judge Hamlin. ~
His integrity j. unquestionable. his ca
lpacity bis bitterest enemies concede -