Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-08-12

borious duties to be performed than any
private individual can impose upoa .
counsellor, involving greater interests
and requiring the ability of those most
eminent for talent experience, learning
and integrity, whose services can be pro-
cured by the same means that secure them
to the corporation or the merchant The
Judge needs to be at least the peer of any
lawyer who appears before him What
assurance has an humble and honest man,
dragged into court by the oppression Of
an influential and powerful adversary,
who employs the most distinguished coun-
sci to be found within the range of the
State, if the judge, instead of being the
equal of the attorney in talent, learning and
fearlessness in the discharge of his duties,
is weak, and has acquired but a smatter-
ing of the knowledge of the law? He is
simply overpowered by the superior fore e
of the intellect and will that is brought
to bear upon him, and if correct deci-
sion is arrived at, it will be a providential
escape of the humble sutton from causes
he may thank good Providence for, but
which cannot be explained in the light OF
human experience. Place an inferior
lawyer on the bench, and one of two
things will inevitably follow. He is still
what he was before his appointment. His
regalia as Judge has not added one iota to
his stature, nor TO the powers of his mind.
1t is certain that his highest ambition
will be to win the favor of the influential
and powerful members of the bar, and to
stand in good favor with those in the COM
munity who control the disposition of the
prize which by some accident he holds.
Since he has not the qualities to win the
respect and the fear If these, he will at
least win their favor by being gracious,
and plant and fawning towards them be-
yond the verge of that dignity and de-
cency which should ever adorn the bench.
When a farmer looks for a workman for
the season, he selects the best he can get,
at the highest going price, as a matter OF
economy, which be has learned by expe-
rience. If he wishes to build mansion.
he inquiries for and employs the beet ar
chitect and the best builders that the
place affords, and he sees the economy Of
doing SO, in the regular progression of the
work from foundation stone 10 pinnacle,
in the regular architectural order OF the
different parts Of the building, and the
steady, rapid progress of its construction.
And be never doubts the economy of pay
ing the highest price, though he knows
4 there are plenty Of architects aud work
men who could have been hired for hal'
/ the price. it may be, but who W ould have
erected for him building scarcely worth
| half the money There il necessity, too,
I for erecting "A harmonious structure of iu-
risprudence. In it, rearing we should obey
certain lines and laws as absolutely as the
architect obey sthe law of architectural pro-
/ portion and beauty Not column should
be leaning, not a window misplaced,
and then the whole should be proper y
adorned and furnished with all the shining
qualities of purity and independence that
blanch not in the face of wrong, though
armed with weapon or bride. Why not,
then, observe the same rule in the selec-
ton of the architect of this imperishable
structure that is observed when you en-
ploy an architect to build your material
and perishable dwelling? Is there any
reason
Moreover, it is undoubtedly true that
the money saved by prompt, energetic,
efficient discharge of the duties Of the
office, thus limiting the duration OF the
.o.-.e os court, ana saving the expense Of
the attendance of jurors, officers and other
attendants, witnesses in State causes,
fuel, etc, would compensate the State,
ten times over, for what shall be paid in
an increased salary. 1t is short-sighted,
narrow and misery policy to exclude
from the bench the men best qualified for
the performance of its weighty duties, by
fixing the salary so low that to accept it
would involve the sin of negligence Of
that first of all duties which man is
bound to regard, the duty of maintaining,
educating and preparing for life, those
whom God in his providence has made de-
pendent upon him by the closest and dear
est of human ties Such a policy can only
properly be characterized as being that of
saving at the spiggot and wasting at the
buug. A more careful busbandry of time
on the part of the members of the Legis-
lature for the past few years, less frequent
adiournments to meet their own mere
convenience, would be better far in the
matter of the practice of wise economy
than grudgingly eking out a salary to
their hard-working servants on the bench,
so small that they are, some of them, COM
PEELED from very necessity to disclose to
the committees of that body that their
children 20 barefooted to school for the
want of salary adequate, with the great
est economy possible, to enable theA to
purchase shoes for their feet. These
things have been true, and are disgraceful
to the State which suffers them SO be- In
the discharge of the duties of the office,
the judge is obliged for considerable
portion of every year, to be away from
home at a constant expense. In his alb
sence he must employ some competent
man to have the care of his family, and
bis affairs. 1t necessitates the adding
one servant at least to his help, the year
around, and reduces the salary by SO
much as it takes to pay for it. Surely a
competent and hard-working judge,-ro
public servants are called upon to perform
such difficult and varying and exhausting
labor,-should receive such salary as
will enable him to have all the essential
enjoyments of life, and the competence
for the later years of his existence that he
would have enjoyed had he not consented,
at the call of the State, to serve her in