Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-08-11

On the evening ofthe 18th day Of juno A. u.
1866. in the store Of Mcssrs Prior q Knight in
jefferson, Judge Chalfee and had q CONVERSE
iion concerning the judgeship; which am sure
he will not claim was in any way considered
confidential Among other things the Judge
stated positively that the members of the bar of
Geauga county had had a meeting and unani-
mousy requested him (Chailco) to be n candi
date Tor reelection.
&. A. NonTIAwAY.
Sometime before tho commencement Of the
last term of court OF Common Pleas in Ashta-
bula county, Judge Chaifec said to me that the
members of the Bar of Geauga county, In bo
dy met him in the hall and expressed their en-
tire satisfaction with the discharge of his duties
as Common Pleas Judge for the present term
and requested him to be candidate Cor the
next term, and pledged TO him their undivided
support. IHd u.
E. D. WooDnuRr.
During the last term Of the court ofCommon
Pleas of Lake county, or soon after, Judge Chat
fec called at my office and apoke OF Judge
Hitchcock being candidate for the judgeship
enquringly; replied had heard something OF
the kind on the street, but Judge Hitchcock had
said nothing to mo about it, and doubted it.
He then said that he had not thought much
of being candidate till at the then last term OF
the court in Geauga county, when the members
of the Geauga Bar and some ofthc officers of the
county came TO his hotel one after another in
the evening very Unexpectedly 10 him. lie did
not know what they wanted, and when they
| had all got in they expressed to him their
unanimous satisfaction with him and requested
him to consent he candidate for rro-eection,
that he was taken by surprise but qualihcdly as
| souted to it.
W. L. PhRKixs.
But Judge c. says these men misunderstood
him. Did they Is it probable that these state
mcnts, made at six different times, to SIX differ
1 all .l~.A..
der stood by all? Nobody except Judge Chat
fee can fail to understand that these statements
were made by him, az an argument in favor of
bar meeting, and to influence them to support
his claims Mt that meeting. For the same rca-
sons he urged other members of the Bar to sign
the call and attend the meeting, and for the
same reasons he boasted that he Would be the
ono selected. All will understand that he back
ed out of the Bar movement for no other reason
han that he found out that he was not the
preference OF the Bar; and that his pretoxt that
II was on account of the large majority of the,
Geauga Bar being opposed to 1t. and on account
Of his extreme regard and jealousy for the rights
OF the people, are as lmpudent as the demag0gism
is apparent Had he been the preference of
the Bar, we should have heard no such stuff.
lie persists in treating the lawyers as no part Of
the people, and their action at Ashtabula as IL
nomination, when he knows it was nothing
more than s recommendation of Nr. Sherman
as candidate for nomination, and no more an
interference with the ''high province, " of the
people, than is the recommendation of twenty
five citizens of Geneva announcing the name of
one of their citizens as q candidate for Auditor
lie sees. no impropriety in condemning the Bar
for doing what he approved of urged others to
do. and understandingly pledged himself to do, /
which pledge he deliberately. forfeits, to gain
his own ends Conceding that the Office of
judge is to be filed from the profession to which
he belongs, he sees no impropriety in censuring
fnra nv ctrra a Hxr
one of their number. These are his ideas of
political ethics, such his opinion of what consti
tutes the MORAL Courage" upon which he so
modestly congratulates himself He sees no
impropriety in pressting to push himself upon
the bench and compelling the Bar to do their
business before him, when he knOwst they have
no confidence in him, or respect for him. He
is ''unable to understand" that it is improper
and disreputable for candidate for that Office
to personally solicit men to support him, to
promise offices to men as q consideration for
such support and the same Office to different
men; to talk with parties and attorneys out of
court about their cases and behind the back of
the other party. Such are probably his ideas
of what is ''fair, honorable and evidence of
'Moral Courage"
Differing with judge Chaffec upon these IDEAS,
and from our experience with him as ajudge,
having no confidence in his integrity, fairness
or impartiality, we feel it our duty to oppose
his re-electon Even should he succeed, we
respectfully submit to Mr.. Chaffee himself if il
is for his interest or his honor to sacrifice his
tranquility and peace of mind, to live in perpet-
ual disagreement with his associates at the Bar,
merely to preserve and continue in an office,
the duties Of which, in their Judgment, he has
neither discharged with honor to himself, nor
with advantage to the public service. With
what countenance can he take his seat upon the
bench, when he feels that every circulating
whisper, is at his expense alone and must know
that he is an object of dcrision to his enemies,
and of melanclo nifty to his fLinnds