The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-01

In the light Of the present, are or are not ac-
oording to law. We need man who is a live
man and who deals with live questions, and
not with the United States Bank or the tariff
of '32 or IA. Our candidate does not proceed
to renew the discussion on the subject Of
slavery, and base his opinions on the effete
Learning Of Chief Justice Taney. The war has
settled many legal questions, and by the deci-
sion of that great tribunal we want our judges
TO abide.
In addition, however, TO what has been the
expressed opinion of Judge sharswood on
the national issues, we have the legal declara-
ton Of that gentleman on the subject Of
finances. We do not propose to speak with
any warmth of that opinion in Borie VS.. Trott;
but would calmly ask those who intend to
vote for Judge Sharswood if they know what
it means Y-if they realize to what danger
they are exposing themselves by supporting
its authorY Judge Sharsweod, in that famous
decision, declared all issues of Government
notes to be illegal. By that he says that if
any Of us have fve-dollar "greenback, we
have not the value of So, but only a
piece of rather dirty paper; that all
the currency and all the notes we have
in our possession are a clear loss to u.s.
that we have invested our money in
paper, and that paper is now worthless. The
mechanic who has boarded up his wages until
he has accumulated a few hundred dollars
has not gained anything thereby. Judge
Sharswood says he has secured bundle of old
paper and he has wasted all his labor for
months. The capitalist who has in his pos
session thousands of dollars in Government
and national bank notes is thus compelled to
lose them all. He does not possess cents
worth of value for all the currency he holds.
Every man, woman, and child would, by the
decision of Judge SharswOod, be loser to a
greater or less extent and loser beyond all
hope of recovery. In voting, therefore, for
that gentleman, it behooves eur readers to
think what they are doing. They are exposing
themselves to a loss of all their property in
United States notes, and to all that COM
motion and overturning of the finances
of our country which would follow such an
upheaval. 1t may be said in reply that, even
if elected, Judge Sharswood could not make
his views succeed that he is overruled by his
brother iurists, and that therefore we run no
risk in giving him the Office. Are the Ameri-
can PEOPLE willing to reward with Office one
whom they are afraid to trust alone in the dis
charge of its duties Shall we disgrace our
selves so far as to place in position a gentle
man who cannot be left on the bench with
safety, for fear he will make decision ruinous
to the nation, when we have the alternative of
either placing such man in power or Of
giving the place to one who is so true that, if
the whole voice of the Bench was to be centred
in him, we would feel safe in the result
That man cannot do harm is no argument
for giving him places of trust. 1t is worse
than unsound, such doctrine; it is insulting
| the Judgment of the community to use such
an inducement to our support. If you,
a business man, were to select clerk,
and he was to apply who had certain peculiar
views on the subject of contracts and of the
possession of property, would you give him a
place of trust, and feel warranted in selecting
him over a thoroughly honest applicant,
merely because you had a cashier who
balanced your books once a week, and there
fore your clerk could not get far astray before
he would be discovered, and brought
back We think not. So it is with the
Office to which Judge sharswood aspires. He
holds peculiar views, dangerous views. And
because all his decisions in NiSi Prius can be
reversed in the Court sitting in banc, is nc
reason why we should give him the high office
of Judge. Let the people think of what they
are doing. Let them calmly think of what a
vote for Judge Sharswood means. And then,
in view of the honor of the nation and their pri.
vate fortunes, let them vote and work for him
with what zeal they can.