Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-01-07
q be Gnqulrer.


EHf decision Of Judge =, A,
GUipRIE, deserve the highestprai q
fsQW the people throughout the
length and breadth of the land
We think W, g Hoop, editor Of the
Marietta Times, the only perfect
paper printed inc Ohio--could not
have written words more true than
the following:
AN Independent Judiciary is at
once the glory andsecurity Of apeo-
Pile. For ages it has been peculiar
~ the pride and boast Of our moth
er county, Old England, 1t is es-
pecially importantan a government,
like our own, where the passions Of
the hour often affect lawSmalring
(. bodies. The result is hasty, incon.
siderato, and injurious legislation.
Heretofore, we have sought ref
uge from the consequences that
might have flowed from this source
in the barrier which0ur courts have
erected toprevcnt these ebullitions
of partisan violence from becoming
tho law Of. the land, But during.
the great civil struggle, and since
its close, we have more than once
had cause to be apprehensive that,
this palladium Of Liberty asregulat
ted by Law could be no longer a
sure reliance. 1t is, therefore, q
matter of sincere congratulations to
find that our fears were sometimes
groundless. The action of the Sl-
prcme Court OF the United States,
within two years last past, has done
much to convince us that, however
much an individual may have been
Influenced by partisan zeal, while
acting merely in priyatc-capacity,
vet, when raised to the position Of
Chief Justice, he can put off the
politician, and manifest solicitufe
for the rights ofthe people and for
the majesty Of the law;
Nor is this wholesome regard for
the purity Of the 'erminc confined to
the august magistrates Of the high
est Federal Court, Among the
Judges of our own State, we have
examples where eminent learning is
united with the strictest integrity
And of these, no one, as we think,
more conspicuonsly illustrates The
truth Of what We have said, than
Erastus A. Guthrie, whopresides in
this district.
last Spring, in this county and
in yinton county, just the other
day,-,cases Of contested elections
were tried, before him, in which
candidates OF hisown political party
sought to set aside the election Of
Democrats to county offices. On
each occasion, Judge Guthrie distin-
guished himself as much by his i'm.
partiality as by his thorough com
prehensin Of the spirit Of the law,
and by the ability with which he
asserted and maintained the rights
of the people.
We should not have thought il
necessary, or even proper, thus 10
commend an officer for the simple
discharge Of his duty, but for the
fact that, in both instances, there
was and opportunity to serve the
behcstc Of his party, and, to help
political friends-mostof them good
men-without mourning the impu-
tation of having violated his con-
victions Of right The same ques-
ton that was prominent in the con
tested elected cases here, and which
was controlling onein the Vinton
comfy cases, had been decided by
Judge Brinkerhoff, Of the Ohio Su-
preme Court, in the District Court Of
Hamilton county, directly the
other way; so that by merely fol-
lowing thisdeclsion, Judge Guthrie
could have given the Offices in con-
troversy to his own political friends.
But he placed his honor and his
conscience above all such Considera.
tions; and, because he did SO, we
feel that he has deserved the respect
and reverence of his fellow men
The cases in Vinton county, 1t
seems, are to be carried up to the
Supreme Court of the State. We,
however, are sure that there will be
no reversal of Judge Guthrie docis
ion; unless, indeed, justice and law
are to bo SGT against each other. q
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