New-York daily tribune., 1861-11-11
TmE ppRITY OF THE ERmIrE.

The selection of o Judiciary by popular suf-
frage is, at best, open to grave objections, ard
the wisest among US have long been convinced
that herein lay ono Of the weakest portions Of
our system. 1t is bad enough to elect judges
az ALL for if any set of men should be especially
exempt from the demoralizing influences winch
are ip.eparable from such dependence upon tho
mere caprice of the multitude, they are those
who sit in Judgment over our property, our
character, and our lives. Thus, whatever ad-
yantagps may spring from universal suffrage
mnny thinking and candid minds are gradually
coming into the opinion that its application Fol
the Bench is radically unsound and mischlevous
II. then. fair election, exhibiting the choice
of a minority Of voters, is, in some sense, OBJ
noxious 10 censure, what shall We say OF one
wherein the most outrageous and wholesale
trckery and deception are rcsorted to for the
purpose Of defeating certain set OF candid
ates and insuring the success OF another lhe
precise case lies before us in the action OF what
is called the "Committee OF the Mozart Hall
General Association" with reference to the GUST
ing OF Judge Woodruff and Judge Hoffman from
the bench Of the Superior Court. From the facts
(which have come to our knowledge we do not
hesitate to pronounce this transaction one Of
| the most fagtiodS and unblushing Pieces of
rascality it has ever been our misfortune to be
cognizant OF. The two, gentlemen IN question
enjoy in q very high degree the respect aud
A. r -. aDI ,rorthv nnrtiOn
Of the community. However difficult IL may
be- for persons in jndicia position to please
all whose interests pass before them, II may
yet be truly said that judges Woodlrfpllii ana
Hoffman have almost made themselves e4eep'.
ions TO the ordinary rule, and have become
universally liked as well aa esteemed. The
purity aud uprigLtness of their private lives,
! the dignity blended with gentleness they ex-
hibited on the bench the impartiality md
soundhess Of their rulings and decisions, have
combined to earn ior, them this large measure
OF public love apd consideration, which could
OILY he obtained BY excelienGies 60 distinguished.
There is n certain unerring prescience in the
public heart which teaches it to be grateful for
loIRy services honestly performed, and this was
colspicuoi.ly ILLUSTRATED in the cuses in question.
Tie reelection Of Judge Woodruff and Judge
Holman to The seats they have digDi6ed. was
considered by oil excepting the bad men who
conaocted the plot to eect them, as quite be.
yond question. That such was the TACT is
demonstrated BY the oil bat universal astopish-
ment which followed the announcement Of their
defeat. Having received the unsolicited nomin-
ations Of nearly all the political organizations,
it seemed, in fact, quite needless for their
friends to use even customary exertions in their
behalf. Ii is well known that, among others,
they received the nomination Of the Mozart
Hall Association. The circumstances deserve
On or about tho Iith OF October, q meeting
of the Association being held, it was resolved
to tender their nominations for the Superior
Court to Judge Woodruff aud Judge Holman.
On this occasion, Mr.. Fernando Wood made a
speech supporting these selections, and Tesolu;
tions were passed of general character in
substantintion thereof. At SONS time after this,
and prior to the 18th of Oct5ber,' the nCoin-
" mittee Of the Association, to tbs number
Of some nine or Ten, waited upon !, y Jadges
Woodruff and Hoffman at. Chambers, and per- I
sodaIly tendered them the nominations, They
expressed 'themsefes in highly complimentary
terms suggestive of their great respect and
esteem for those gentlemep,l and dwelt' par.
ticIharly on the conviction at which 'thsy pro- |
iessed to have arrived, that, party considera.
tions should not enter info Judicial nOmina.
tons. lu view of all this, Judges Woodruff
and Hoffman consented to entertain the pro.
pOsai of tho Committee, and .thenceforward
were regarded as the regulnr Mozart cald-
dates for the Superior Court, a,5 '' y '' T ,l
On the 18th Of October,v the Judges were
waited upon by Mr.. VIM. Mckinney, who
PRODUCED a paper Vi gned by Edward TimpsoD,
:, Secretary Of the Mozart Hall General
" Association, "5reriesting the payment Of al.
certain sum Of money, which payment 1t was
assumed was customary in such cases. 1t is
known that tho statute Is, stringent which for
bids the payment Of money. by candidates, to
be used for political purposes. In this case,
however, it was said to be for printing ballots
Ind the like incidsntals, payment for which
would not conflict with the statute. The
orders were therefore paid by both gentlemen,
mo Of thcm-Judge woodruh-taking re.
'eipt from Mckinney, specifying in what man
ier the money was to be employed Matters
vent on swimmingly until few days before
ae election. when. through some leaky vessel,
IN ugly rumor crept into circulation, to the
fleet that il was the intention of the Mozart