Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-08-13


I InG most dcplorablc feature in tlc new
Of te people with the power to elect our
Jul.:Ss. We conSderthis, formauy weigh
ty reasons, one of the worst evils which the
passion for change and innovation has yet
brought upon the State and we would
Willingly advocate q Convention for the sole
and specific purpose of restoring to the
Legislature the power of filling all vacan-
ees ON the bench. That body ought ncy-
cr to have been divcstcd of this important
power AS long IT'S they held it, it WAS cx-
erciscd with an eye single to public good,
and we do not rccollcct an instance in
which the public interests were compromi-
scd by an appointment under the old sys-
tenn. Why should the people be troubled
with judicial elections, and how are they
proGtcd by them? They do not vote di-
rcctlv for President, Vice President, and
Senator's in Congress, and yet they expert
cncc not the slightest dctrimcnt from this
source. If, then, the present mode Of
consistent with the public welfare, why
should not the same mode of choosing Jud-
gcs be equally consistent with it?
1t is an unwise and dangerous practice
ina government like ours, that of multi
plying and rumifying popular elections be-
! y"nd the conservative standard prescribed
| by the trainers OF our federal and State po-
litics Who believe that the national wei
fare would be improved by withdrawing
! the election Of President and Vice Prcsi-
dent from the Electoral College and pla-
cling it immediately in tic hands of the
! people? Or. that the States would be ben
Gifted by shifting the election of Senator'S
from the legislative chambers to tic coun-
/ typrecinctS?
The administration of justice "comcs
home to the bosom and business" of every
citizen alike There il, or should be- no
! distinction of pcrsons-no fca. or favor
nothing whatever to warp its decisions in
Court Of Law. intellectual capacity, in
! tcgrity and frmncss of p,up6sc-unSwer-
wing fidelity to futy-tliesc are the great
rcia,S tcs for the bench. An independent
in l",;ry is one of the main bulwarks of
th2 bic safety and happiness. Every.
me .'ucnt, therefore, which serves or tcndSs
to II umscrbc or weaken the spirit of IN
F.; de- lcncc in a judge. shml be indg-
naut'v flowrcd down by the people, as
! prcg' ant only with mischief
/ We assert, without the fear of contra
dictior, that an elective judiciary is not
and cannot be MS independent as one that
Is not elective, in the sense in which We
arc now using the term. In the former
ease, the Judge is dependent for his Office
upon popular favor, and is compelled 1T
! comparatively short invervas, here in Nir-
! ginia, to submit tU the ordeal Of the ballot
box, where thousand Influences which
would be powcrlcss in tho Legislature may
operate to defeat him. Especially do these
remarks hold good in times of warm party
1 excitement like the present ''Dragging
/ the crminc of justice in the mirc OF poli-
ties, arc words of solemn import. They
convey an idea which is revolving to the
mi, J>of every lover of justice and they
I -: q degradation of the bench which
ever citizen should strcnuwlsy cndcavor
I to e. TT, as well for the sake of his own
as public interests.
! -. evil, however, is upon us, and the
! be,f that can be done is to countcmct and
/ daesn it by strictly conservative exercise
OF 'i'e franchise by every voter alta judi
Gal SECTION. If the candidates would abb
! sta,1 from canvassing their respective dis
tricts in stump firsliion-if the people will
cschcw all political party influences in Civ
ing their suffragcs-if they will look only
to the judicial character of tho proceeding,
and to tho fitness of the candidate. if clcc-
ted, to discharge the peculiar functions
! of the Office which he seeks ut their hands
/ then and so long will the present system
be rendered comparatively innocuous.
IShrSb"'y E,lrrss.
TIE Emperor Napoleon, says the Bos-
ton Transcript, has his own way of dealing
with difficulties, whether social, municipal.
OF intcrnational--as my be seen by his
treatment of tho gas companies of his cal
/ itai Finding, four or five years ago, that
! the Parisans complained of the character
and price of the gas which was. served to
them, hc caused some gas works to be built
! in the grounds of the palace at ST. Cloud,
! and fitted with the necessary apparatus for
The manufacture of that important article.
T'"n, under his own supcrintcndcncc, az.
sisted by several eminent chemists and sci
cntiiic incn, he caused experiments in tho
manufacture of gas from all the various
materials, from, the cheapest to the dear
est. to be made. When hc had tried tho
| 1iffnronf kinds In kbo ,>,I,oo 81 H. a G..