Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-01-17
Tor t71e Spectator.
To MANY Farmers.

tender you my grateful acknowledgements
for your very dattering note, addressed to me
| through the columns of the Spectator, asking
my consent to become a candidate for the office
of Judge of the Judicial Circuit composed of the
counties of Amherst, Nelson, Rockbridge Bath
and Augusta. And while can but regard it as
| eYidsncing rather your kindness and Partially
for me, than my fines for the office, assure you
the compliment is the more highly appreciated
because of the source from which it emanates.
For s5Ao has deeper interest in the proper ad-
ministration of the laws than the farmer?
| The Office to which you invite me is one of
great labor and responsibility. You will read-
| " concur with me that tardy, uncertain, and
expensive administration of the law, is, to say
the least of it, great evil, and must always
greatly retard the prosperity of the community.
On the other hand, speedy, impartial and
faithful administration of the laws is the great
est blessing that can be conferred upon free
people.
Throw this safeguard around the citizen, and
you at once extend to him all the benefits in
tended to be secured by well organized gov
eminent. In view, then. of the purposes for
which this office was created, it is obviously the
duty of the Incumbent, speedily to dispose of
the business as it may be brought into the
Courts; and if from any cause he should fail to
do this, then it is equally his duty to surrender
back his authority to those who conferred it, in
order that this important service, so essential to
the public welfare, may be performed by an
other.
You have been pleased to express the belief
that, if elected to the Office, would discharge
its duties with promptness, impartiality and a.
bility. La attributing to me the two fist OF
these qualifications, trust you have not done
lp,o iuctic viii 10 L
unbecoming in me to lay claim to the other, if
permitted to judge from the success attendant
upon laborious practice for the last thirty
years, might without presumption fatter my
self that | am not wholly destitute of it.
At an early age, imbibed the old Republican
MAXIM shat office ought not to be sought, nor
should it be declined :" and that it is the I'm
questionable right of the people to demand the
services of any citizen who they deem qualified
for the discharge of official duty. Still believing
that to be the true principle of our Government,
yield my assent to your request, not, however,
without greatly oistrusting my qualifications.
Deeply impressed with the importance and
responsibilities which attach this Office, and we'll
knowing that there is nothing in which the peo-
pie have deeper interest than in speedy ad-
ministration of justice, it is proper should say,
that if this Office should be conferred upon me,
shall accept it with pledge of my humble a.
bilities to a faithful, impartial and energetlodis-
charge of its duties and with an assurance, that
the Dockets of the Courts shall be regularly
called and the business promptly disposed of in
its order; and if this cannot be done at the reg
ular sessions of the Courts, then extra terms will
be held, as the law requires. =
By the Reports Of the Clerk, made as the law
directs, there were pending in the Circuit Court
of Augusta county, on the 31st Of August, 1856,
SOB cases, in 1857, 52l, in 1858, 534, and in
1859, GA. Under our Reformed Judiciary it
was expected that the Dockets would bs kent
down; but so far from this expectation being
realized, it appears that the business in this
Court has been suffered regularly to accumulate.
and If permitted to increase in the same ratio.
the wheels of Justice already greatly retarded
IN their movements, must soon cease to roll on.
The only remedy for the growing evil, is to
clear the D0ckets, and should it be found neces-
sary for that purpose, shall deem it my duty to
keep the Courts in session the whole year.
That long continued relic of Justice dezaved.
entailed upon US by an irresponsible Judiciary
known as the ''Sleeping Docket" shall be wax
ed up, and nolonger have place upon your
Records. DAVID FJITZ
SEWARD AND DoUGLAs.-The Washington
of the New York Times saws =
When Mr.. Seward entered the Senate he was
surrounded by the Republican Sen
ators, and was warmly congratulated on his safe
raturn After the shakinr Of b,n1.