The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-06
THE DISTRICT JUDGESHIP.


IT is rumored that vigorous movement will
be made in the present Legislature to con-
test the election of Mr.. Lynd, who, according
to the count of the votes polled last October
in this city, was elected Judge of the District
Court of Philadelphia. We hope this rumor
is true, and that thorough investigation of
all the attendant circumstances may be made.
The whole system of electing judges is at best
an experiment, and too much pains cannot be
taken to make it successful. 1t was either
MIR. Lynd's fault or his msfortune-we will
not stop horo to inquire whch--that he ran
far behind his ticket, and it will scarcely be
denied that large proportion of the most
upright, intelligent, and patriotic Republi-
cans of this city erased his name from their
ballots He was certainly not an eligible can
didate, and there are many who think that
he was not proper one. Although all par
ties may be ready to bow, in spite of this
opinion, to q fair verdict at the polls, it is
alleged that unfair counting of the votes was
resorted to for the purpose of giving Mr..
Lynd q majority which would have 40 real
existence if strict justice were done, and
there is certainly something mysterious in
the unusual variance between the newspaper
count of the vote on the judgeship and the
official returns. All doubts on such subject
should be cleared up. 1t is bad enough to
have judge on the bench who does not pos
sess the confidence of a considerable portion
of the most worthy members of his own
party, and it is intolerable that any man
should deal out justice in our courts whose
right to exercise such an exalted function is
questionable. 1t is more easy to imagine
than to describe the feelings that will
arise in the breasts of disappointed suitors
before such tribunal if the Legislature does
not clear away the suspicious that have been
engendered in regard to the validity of the
October returns. Either their complete
fallacy or their truthfulness should be speed
lily established by searching investigation,
so that if MIR. Lynds right to the judgeship
is unquestionable he may be subjected to no
imputations, and, on the other hand, if he
was not fairly elected, that the judgeship
NAV be awarded to his competitor Let us
keep our courts not only pure but in all
respects above suspicion. If we depart from
this safe rule, the condition of the courts of
New York City should warn us of the fright
full dangers that will speedily loom up.
THE GRO WIN Or IHLLdDHLIH H1A'
IT is sufficiently proved that the growth of
cities depends in a great degree on their di-
verging railroads. There can be no dodbt of
the existence of a positive relation between
the extent of country covered by such roads,
and the wealth and population about the focus
to which they converge. The marvellous
growth of Chicago is an example in point.
That city has ten or twelve main trunk lines
spreading out like the sticks of fan, which
with their tributaries govern wide circum-
ference, being so many swift highways for
concentration one way and distribution the
other. Philadelphia has not half as many,
although she has much larger general bust
ness. Her access to the ocean, while it COM
pensates for much, does not nearly bring up
her power of distribution to her capacity of
production in manufactures and the useful
arts. This power we must supply if we ex-
peot the increase of our population to con-
tinue in the ratio of the past decade In-
deed, We ought not to be satisfied with this.