Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-07-13
WHO FAvoRs A PARTISAN JUDICIARY.

l.
The Democracy have had very much to
say of late concerninga partisan Judiciary
They disavow any intention or desire of
carrying political issues into the Judicial
canvass. They present their candidates to
the people upon the pretence that they are
non-partisan. Let us see how the party
stands upon the record.
Some twelve months ago, the people
of the State elected the present Judicial
officers for a term of eight years. When
the Democracy were restored to power
through the fraud and treachery of Gov
Senter, among the first of their legislative
acts was one to provide for Constitution
al Convention. The avowed and notori-
Gus object of this Convention was to re-
move the judges and officers elected last
summer. For what purpose? To re-elect
them? TO elect in their places good men,
irrespective of party? No, no not by any
means. Their declared purpose was to put
in office their own party men-men known
to be true to their party creed. They have
been true to this declared purpose so far as
they dared attempt it. They would have
nominated a strict party ticket in this city
on Monday last if they had dared do so.
They canvassed the situation thoroughly,
and concluded they needed some such trick
as they finally resorted to, to make success
even possible. In view of their published,
lOng-matured plan of supplanting our pre-
sent Judiciary by one partisan in charac-
ter; in view of the fact that the Conven-
ton of Monday was called and actually
met as a partisan Convention, can the peo-
pie be deceived by the silly pretext that a
strictly partisan ticket was not nominated
because the party opposed partisan Judi
ciary? Such pretence is discarded by the
wing, whose editor, in this matter, is very
candid and honest. Against the gen
tlemen aspiring to position as Democrats
or Conservatives personally, we have no
objections to make. But they are now
seeking position under circumstances.
which make it entirely proper that we
should speak of them and of the claims
put forward in their behalf They are
identified with the present dominant par
ty in the Assembly. They have known of
the attempts of that body to gerrymander
this Circuit and Chancery Division so as to
elect the nominees of the Democracy
They know that, hy this shameful legisla-
ton, the business of our courts has been
delayed and disarranged. They know
that, by this Democratic Assembly, the
Circuit Court for this county has been
given but one week per term, through
which change parties litigating in court
have been greatly delayed and annoyed for
eight months, and the county subjected to
an expense of some ttco MOusaltd dolurs
They know that all this legislation was for
their benefit and to secure their election
We make no charges of completely on
their part in this legislation, but we dare
say they Were consulted as To the changes
made. The veXatious and expensive de-
lays to litigants in court, and the heavy
expense to Knox county We're inevitable to
such changes, and they must have known
it. If they We're not consulted in reference
topulling and hawking about the mountain
counties from one circuit to another, to Sc
cure their election, they should make it
known. These things look very much to.
honest people as though they were at
tempts mt forcing upon them a partisan .ju-
dietary, and it will take something more
than the weak, flimsy devices of the chair
man of the Democratic Executive Com
mittee to persuade them to the contrary.
Actions speak louder than words. The re-
cord of the party on this subject leave no
room for doubt. The party has been la
boring, ever since Senter's election, to Sc
cure partisan judiciary, and only disavow
their intention now, in this circuit and
division, because they know they cannot
succeed.
Chancellor Temple, Judge Hall, Judge
Jones and Colonel Thornburgh are the pee
ple's candidates and they so understand it.