The weekly Butte record., 1867-11-09
For the Record
The County Judgeshfp.

The late action of the Board of Supervisors in dis
franchising some three hundred voters of Butte
county in order that they might defeat the will of
a majority of the people which had pronounced in
favor of c. F. Lott Esq. for County Judge, is one
that imperatively demands the severest animadver.
sion of every honest and canlid man in the
munity. Indeed, palpabe is the fact of its hav-
ing been partisan decision, that many of the most
intelligent, honest and respectable members of the
Radical or socalled' Union party have not hesi
tated to denouace it as 90 Infamous " and an out
rage upon the rights of the people, Being such.
the names of the two members of the Board who
did the deed-Messrs. Fogg and Watson will
long
Fiji the speaking trump of future fame
when those of honest and honorable men are
forgotten-but not for their official virtues or in
tegrity. Their fame will be somewhat akin to that
of him who burnt the temple at Ephesus, and Of
those who, by their nfamy, have become objects
for
"Scorn
To point her slow, unmoving finger at
do not purpose here to review the action OF the
Board iu this matt er in detail. 1 wish simply to
state the substantial fact that Mr.. Lott received
majority of votes in the county for County Judge,
as appears by the returns made by &c Union Off
GERS of election and said those
from Cherokee Flat and Thompson's Flat-convey-
ed to the County Clerk by good q Union " men,
and the further no less substantial and important
fact that the Board reversed the decision of the
people on the pretended ground of certain slight
and mmaierial lnformalities in the returns-there
being no pretence of frauds-well knowing that the
law and the decisions of the Supreme Court are to
the effect that such informalites do not vitate the
returns or dsfranchse the voters. Having thus
briefly stat ed the essential facts of the case leave
the reader to draw such differences from them as
they warrant. If he does not arrive at the conclu-
sion that great wrong-an act of turpitude-has
been committed. he must belong to that class of
political moralists-unfortunately too numerous OF
late-who consider every act of rascality right
which enures to the benefit of " our party
There is another circumstance in connection with
this affair, however trivial it may at first appear
to which I desire to direct public attention. 1t is
this: Throughout the published proceedings of
the Board in canvassing the vote of the county it
trct Attorney acted as the special counsel of Judge
Stafford Yet such was the fact, and the statement
of that fact seems to have been studously omitted
Was it on account of the manifest mpropriety-to
use no harsher term-of legal officer of the people
of the county whose duty by law and the nature OF
his Office il is to see that their votes are properly
canvassed.-becoming special advocate for par
ticular candidate, and advocate. too, for the
disfranchisement of nearly three hundred voters'
Such an act on the part of District Attorney, Is
entirely unprecedented and decidedly improper
not to say suspicious. Was it an act of partisan
ship? or was " Rosey merely throwing out " an
anchor TO the windward for some Interior pur-
pose? Iti said that the District Attorney con-
templates st the close of his of Office, to bring
an action against the county for certain extra ser
vices. Should it be brought in the County Court,
" i, void be so very Convenient, as Mrs. Toodles
would say, to have the question of the payment OF
/ the monish = decided by Judge who owed him
a deep debt of gratitude. l do no. intend to init
mate that Judge Stafford would be Influenced by
any such considerations or would thus soil the ju
dicial ernne, but it is thought by some that Ro-
/ seyr had such hopes or expectations.
In CONCLUSION, desire TO state that the good and
true men of Butte county. irrespective of party. de
mand that the action Of the Board of Supervisors in
relation to the County Judgeship shall undergo
judicial investigation, and they call upon Mr.. Lott
to see that it be done. JUSTICE.