The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-05-23
The ~Judxeship.

Party politics can do no greater harm
to any community than when they tepd
to corrupt the fountain of public justice.
When an officer is to be selected for a 20
sition in which it will be necessary for
him, in the discharge of his duties, to
deal with political questions, 1t is per
fectly right that those who hold differ
ent opinions concerning questions Pf
State or national policy, should EACH
strive Tor the election of a candidate to
represent and put in practice their pecn-
liar views. But in an office which com
pels its possessor to deal equally with
men of all parties and opinions, an office
whose essence should be impartiality,
party politics should have no place. The
selection ola Judge of Court, simply On
account of his political views and with
ont regard to his mental or moral qualif-
cations, is doing a g~rievous wrong to So
ciety. The mere act Of nominatingIa
candidate, Is a partisan, amounts to the
expression of q desire that the person
nominated will, if elected, perform his
duties as a partisan; and the acceptance
of such a nomination is a confession and
a promise, on the part of the candidate,
that he will hold the interests of his po-
lftical party superior to the claims ofjus-
tice. No man who properly appreciates
the responsibilities of judicial position
can consistently be the candidate of q
political party.
We hoped that there would be no con-
test for the Judgeship of the Municipal
Court of this city at this time, especially
snch a contest as would draw the lines
of party and lead the man who may be
elected to think that he owed his Office
,nore to one class of citizens than to an
other. We hoped that our Municipal
Court would be put in ope:ation without
subjecting the Judge to any party claims
or attempting to fetter justice by any
party ties. Major GOOD was solicited by
prominent citizens of both political par
ties TO become a candidate. His name
was announced simultaneously in both
the city papers, and every person, except
IL few political aspirants, recognized at
once his eminent fitness for the position.
An old practitioner in the Courts of this
and other States, a lawyer of more than
usual learning and ability, a citizen above
reproach, and a man free from that bitter
ness and intensity of political feeling
which too often biases the Judgment and
makes justice only n name; this being
the well-knowu character of Mr. GOOD,
il was hoped that he would be the unan
imous choice of our people and that we
would have no petty political sqnabble
for the office. In this, however, We have
been disappointed. A strictly partisan
convention last Saturday nominated A.
b. CALDWELL, Esq, for Judge of the
Municipal Court The contest is forced
upon us and the people OF the city con-
trary to their will. Indeed, so unwilling
are some prominent members of the Re-
publican party to take an active part in
drawing party lines and making these
few days a political campaign, that .
number of them have gone from the city
to remain until after the election, and
many more declare their intention of
voting for Mr.. GOOD.
WI hope that all who value impartial
ity and strict integrity in the discharge
of judicial duties, will cast their ballots
next Thursday for MOSES G. GOOD and
administer q rebuke to those tricksters
who would make even the Courts OF law
subservient to their selfish political
schemes.