Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1863-03-18
From the Milwaukee Sentinel.
The Chief J nsticeship.

The telegraph Yesterday announced the
nomination of tho Democratic Stale Con-
vention at Madison, of Montgomery NJ.
Cothren, of Mineral Point, Iowa county.
rs the candidate of that party for Chief
Justice of the Supreme Bench, to he yo-
ted for at the election in April The f.
nal vote of the convention WAS SO for
Cothren, to rs for Luther S. Dixon, the
present Chief Justice.
The debates in the convention were
confined chiefly to the merits of the can
didates before it, and were lively, spir
ted, sometimes acrimonious, and occa-
sionaly slightly abusive. Moses M.
Strong appeared as the special champion
of Cothren, while E. G. Ryan was the
most pre- minent advocate of the nomina
ton of Dixon. Cothren is an extreme
partisan Democrat-said to b., in fact,
one of the purest specimens of the cop
perhead.
His nomination, however, can scarce
~ be considered the triumph of any
particular stripe of the democracy, in ref
erence to any questions OF principle
among them. The division was not
there, hut was between those who es
teemed devotion to party, the first duty
of democrats in all times, and on all oc-
casions, and those who were DESTROYS of
having a good Supreme bench, even tho
it were necessary to wink at. or ignore
party in doing it. No objection was
made to Dixon, except that his democra-
CIV was doubtful, and as the convention
came together to make democratic
nomination, pure and simple, it was
bound to do it. The prevailing senti-
ment was, that we care not Who the man
is, so bis devotion to the democratic par
" is unquestiohed. This was the spirit
of majority Of the convention. We
Think it no exaggeration to say that four
out of FIVE OF those composing tho con
vention, preferred Dixon in every respect
except in the one thing of orthodox
democracy, and had the purpose of the
convention been to choose the fttest man
for tho place, Cothren would scarcely
have been heard Of in the choice. But
the convention was called for the pur-
pose of making partisan nomination,
and that it should not have taken Judge
Dixon, in vastly less surprising than it
would have been if it bad taken him.
We have no disposition to be unjust
to Mr. Cothren. bat while we concede
what his supporters evidently esteem his
chief merit--his orthodox partisan de-
mocracy-we are obliged to express the
candid opinion that it is about the only
merit he possesses for the position. lie
has been member Of the State Senate,
and is now on the bench in the Iowa
circuit. In the former position be won
no very enduring lau els, and if he has
espec ally distinguished himself in the LAT
ter, it is not very generally known.
We are more or less acquainted per-
sonally with all the candidates named be-
fore the convention, and think the choIce
of any other one, so far as the dignity
and interests of the State are concerned.
would have been preferable. We will
not. however, dwell on this poiut now,
as there will be abundant time to discuss
the merits OF tnlS candidate.
His success we should esteom a mis-
fortune for the State, and The chief and
important point is how that misfortune
IS to be avoided. To our apprehension
The way is very clear. 1t is simply for
those who do not think partisanship Of
any kind the chief or only qualification
of the Chief Justiie of the Supreme
Bench, to unite in opposition. And we
are confident from the expressions of
opinion we heard at Madison, after this
nomination was made, from prominent
men of all parties, that no name is so
certain to prove an efficient raIIying point
for this union as that of L. S. Dixon,
the present Chief Justice. While we
write, the telegraph informs us that our
Republican friends of the Legislature are
in caucus over the matter. The most
they can do with any propriety is TO re-
commend a candidate. We trust ex
tre,ne counseIs will not prevail among
them, and are very certain if their re-
commendation is in any other direction
than the one we have indicated, very
large majority Of those who are anxious
the misfortune Of the success Of the pres
ent nomination shall not befall the State,
viii be grieved and disappointed We
do not say that any other recommenda-
ton would invoke defeat, but we do be-
ieve that no other one would be SO ALSO
luteIy certain to insure success.
Those who favor the choice of Dixon
are by no means in all cases peculiarly
friendly to all the decisions made BY the
Court. but they recognize in him ability,
sterling honesty, industry. caudor and ir-
reproachable personal habits, and very
naturally and wisely conclude that tho
disappointed occasionally in decisions rem
dered. it is not at all probable that any
change will be for the better, and least of
all, such change IS this late convention
proposes.