Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-09-15

anu VIII you JnVir WOIu udo pcth ui-
questioned. All at once, and with una
nimity unparalleled, have they descended
from the position of high minded, honor
able citizens, to be traducers of the char
acters Of men2
Is Il said "They seek to dictate 10 the
people," Who, from the first opening of
this fierce contest foy high and rcspon-
sble Office, has been foremost in placing
men in false positions? Who had most
ut stake before the people? Whose every
act has declared that the goal at which
he aimed was success, no matter how
meanly or dearly bought?
How about this question of dictation? Z?
Deserted by the bar of Ashtabula and
Lake Counties, he flies with the wings of
the morning TO the bar of Geauga Coun-
ty. He finds there aspiring and congo
NAL spirits. The aspect of affairs is dis
cussed in committee of the whole. A
filial rebuke is administcd to him for act
ing so hastily and indiscrectly in signing
the call for bar meeting. He is told
that Ashtabula is a great county. She
produces more lawyers than all the other
counties of the district. She can arise in
her legal might, and "Old Geauga" and
"Little Lake" become at once as the fine
dust of the balance. The great Revelat-
or never saw such visions as the "large
majority of the bar" of "Old Geauga"
made to pass IN review before the ruffied
mind of Judge Chaffee. How shall the
judicial sores be healed? Who shall pour
upon them the oil of consolation? There
was balm in Geauga, there was physi-
clan there. Judge Chaffee, you have
knocked the bottom out of the cherished
plans of some of the bar of our county we
fear; and now as zoe cannot get the
Judgeship, you must be oar candidate.
You must withdraw your name from that
call for bar meeting, and this proposed
action of the bar of this Judicial District,
must be characterized as a deliberate at
tempt to trample under foot the "high
prerogatives of the people" Does any
one doubt this? Let him read the letter
of withdrawal. BY implication stronger
than direct language can express the SEN
timent, he excites the prejudices of one
class against another. His friends pursue
the canvass, and the cry of "dictation,"
"down with the lawyers" was and is the
argument of the campaign. We say
argument-it is no argument. To seek,
by word or act, to excite prejudice against,
or array one profession against another,
is the work only of the most servile and
unprincipled demagogue In republi-
can government like ours, every attempt
to array class against class should meet
the condemnation of every honorable
citizen.
All we desire to say on this question
of dictation is this-that Judge Chaffee
is as absolutely debating to the people by
himself and three lawyers of Geauga
County, for the position he seeks, as it is
tate to others, and the action is as
culpable, if culpable at all, in the
one case as in the other. Mr.. Chaffee is
himself lawyer--and it is his boast that
he has educated more attorneys for the
bar, than any other lawyer at the bar.
Himself and his friends should be among
the last to advance their interests, by eX-
citing prejudices against the members OF
his chosen profession.
Fellow-citizens: We have alluded
briefly to some of the many points of this
unpleasant contest. We, in common
with others have watched its progress.
There has been in the conflict much to
condemn-too little that merited hearty
commendation.
Under all the circumstances, we are fore
ed to the conclusion that we cannot, with
out doing violence to every sense of pro-
pFiety and right, give to Mr.. Chaffee our
support and our votes at the coming elec-
ton.
We know that large number of the
cool, Gispassionate, thinking men of the
district, think and feel as we do upon the
subject. We regret the necessity that
compells us to this conclusion. In former
years we have supported him. Did we
see clean record, did we hear no express
sion of lack of qualification, we could do
it at this time. AS it is, the only alterna-
tive left us is, to either withhold from
Judge Chaffee our support, or brand as
maligners and traducers large class of
our most intelligent, and heretofore
honorable and highly respected citizens
Thus thinking and feeling upon the
subject, we, in common with others, have
seen fit to put in nomination another man
for the honorable and responsible position
of Common Pleas Judge. Our choice is
no stranger to the people Of this Judicial
District He is among the oldest of the
of the bar. He has been honor
ed by your confidence and support.
Through life of active business at the
bar, and years of experience upon the
bench, his integrity has never been called
in question. What better evidence can
we have of the fitness of a man for
given position, than that he has discharg-
ed, for long series of years, the incest
and most responsible duties for the pub
lie, and then retires to private life with
name and reputation untarnished?
Our choice for the position at this time
is the Hon. RUEBEN HITcHcocK, of Lake
County. We feel that, under all the cir
surrounding us, the interests
of the public will be better subserved, by
him by your votes to the posi-
ton of Common Pleas Judge. We trust
that the majority of the intelligent voters
of this district will think and act with
us. In giving to Judge Hitchcock our
support, we avoid the impropriety of
placing a man upon the bench. between
whom and the bar, a lack of pfoper con