Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-02-10
From the Spectator.
10 Many Farmers.

~" my grateful acknowledge
ments Tor your fattcring nete, addressed to
me through the columns of the Spectator,
asking my consent to become candidate
Ior the Office OF Judge of the Judicial Cir
CUT composed eff the counties of Amherst
Nelson, Rockbridge, Bath and Augusta
AND While can but gard it as eyidencing
rather your kindness and Partially for me,
than my fitness for the office, [ assure you
the compliment is the more highly appreci-
ated because of the source from whence it
em:nates. For aoho has deeper interest
in the proper administration of the laws than
the farmer
The office to which you invite me is one
OF great labor and responsibility. You will
readily concur with me that tardy, uncer-
tam, and expensive administration of the
laws, is, to say the least of it, great evil.
and must always greatly retard the prosper
ity OF the community. On the other hand +,
a speedy, impartial and faithyiM admins
tration of the laws, is the greatest blessing
that can be conferred upon free people.
Throw this safe guard around the citizen,
and you at once extend to him all the bene-
fits intended to be secured by we'll organ
lied government In view, then, of the
purposes for which this Office was created,
it is obviously the duty Of the incumbunt,
speedily to dispose Of the business as it.may
be brough into the Courts and if from any
cause he should tail to do this, then it is
equally his duty to surrender back his au-
thority to those who conferred it, in order
that this important service, so essential to
the public welfare, may be performed by
another
You have been pleased to express the be-
lief that, if elected to the Office, would dis
charge its duties with promptness, impair
TALLY and ability. In attributing to me the
two first of these qualifications, trust you
have not Gone me more than justice and
while it would be 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 myself that am
not wholly destitute of it,
At an early age imbibed the old Repub-
lican maxim, ''that Office out not to be
sought, nor should it be declined ;" and that
it is the unquestionable right of the people
they deem qualified for the discharge of off,
cial duty. Still believing that to be the
true principle of our Government, yield
my assent to your request, not, however,
without greatly distressing my qualifca
items.
Deeply impressed with the importance
aud responsibilities which attach to this Of
ice, and well knowing that there is nothing
III which the people have deeper interest
than speedy administration of justice, it is
proper that should say that if this office
should be conferred upon me, shall accept
it with pledge of my humble abilities to a
faithful, impartial aud energetic discharge
of its duties and with az assurance that the
Dockets of the Courts shall be regularly
called and the business disposed of in its
order; and if this cannot be done at the reg
MAR session 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 Cir
cult Court of Augusta county, on the 31st
of August, 1856, 5O3 cases ; in 1857, 52l !;
In 1858, 534 and IN 1859, 574 Under
our reformed Judiciary it was expected that
the Docket would be kept down: but SO far
from this expectation being realized, it ap-
pears 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 retard-
ed IN their movements, must soon cease to
roll on
The only remedy for the growing evil, is
to clear the Dockets, and should it be foend
necessary for that purpose, shall deem it
my duty to keep the Courts in session the
whole year.
That long continued relic of justice de.
layed, entailed upon us by an irresponsible
Judiciary, known as the "Sleeping Docket,
shall be walked up, and no longer have {
place upon your Records.
DAVID FULTz