Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-06-29

y - vi 10
The nomination Of Ralph p. Lowe ~
Judge Of the Supreme Court has been
received by the Bar Of this county with
surprise and regret. Lawyers Of every
shade Of political opinion have, thus
far. been united 10 their efforts to pre-.
serve the Judiciary from all participa
ton in degrading tricks, trades and
jobs which constitute "politics" in this
- we'll ~ in every other country in
the world. Directly after the State Of
New York inaugurated the expert
meut Of an elective Judiciary, the
Democracy under the lead of such ad-
mirable lawyers as VanBurcn, Marcy,
Wright and Bronson, proposed to their
Wing opponents to join with them in
selecting candidates for Judicial sta
tions without regard TO their political
associations. This offer, then as now,
under the tntelage Of Thurlow Weed,
was declined, much to the disgust of all
the eminent Wing Jurists OF the day
Party lines were then drawn between
Judges and Judicial candidates, and
the result has been to place upon the
tench many vagabond who ought to
be in the dock. The nomination OF
Governor Lowe is SO palpabIy politi-
cal move, SO plainly plan for getting
rii Of a troublesome politician by
showing him on tie bench, SO unmis-
takably . sacrifice Of the character OF
the Judiciary for the benefit Of small
beer politicians, that it must alarm our
whole population, whose property,
whose liberty and lives are dependent
upon the character, integrity and
learning Of the Supreme Court! We
ask ourselves, What are we coming to
when our Supreme bench is, at the
beck Of Jim Grimes and Sam Kirk
wood. to be made the receptacle Of
broken down and used up politicians
The history Of loves nomination is
simply this; Lowe wanted a renomi-
nation as Governor, but rs he had
made miserable officer, and as Grimes
had thought 1t best to place Kirk
woods name on the slate, it was deter
mined to choke him of. Lowe went
into the Convention, and was defeated,
as every one but himself knew he
would be. lie was mortified and in.
dignant at his discontinue, and to
satisfy his friends and appease him, il
was deemed polite to give him nom
ination for Judge Of the Supreme
Court, though it was known that be
had not single qualification for the
bench. Strange is it, that such con
siderations should make aud unmak,
the Tribunal which holds in its hands
the dearest rights of every one Of us
Ralph p. Lowe is known to be an il
norant, llliterate and badly balanced
mana prairie lawyer of very mode
rate attainments in his profession, DIES
titute of those scholarly attainment
which Supreme Judge ought to pos
sess, and by no means conspicuous
for that mental symmetry and strength
not improperly called "hard sense, y
which sometimes supplies the want o.
intellectual and literary culture. liz
cannot write an English sentenc.
dramatically. lie cannot expires.
his commonest ideas in an ineligible
manner. lie is utterly incapable o
the accuracy, the perspicuity and III,
clearness which are requisite in Ju
! diciaI opinion. His proclamation
since he has been Governor, have beer
the laughing stock Of almost every
editor in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri
Ia a word, he is beyond oil the Judi
cial candidates we ever knew the mos
unit for Judge Of the Supreme Court
Should he be elected, the Iowa Re
ports will become mass of bad gram
mar, bad law and bad English, DIS
graceful to the State and the lega
profession. The ermine cannot long
preserve its spotless purity when tri
fling politicians, as in the late Repub
lican State Convention, can, Tor their
scurvy purposes, foist the ragtag and
bobtail f the bar upon the highes
tribunal Of our State.
A prtnter q GOVERNOR.