Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-08-21

so common where two or more are
elected to the same office
Hence the wisdom of making the
supreme Court lected by single judges
and at stated intervals. So in COun-
ty Commissioners. If the principle of
proportional representation should be
applied to the election of the Supreme
Court, they must of necessity be elect
ed all at one election, and their term
of office all expire at the same time
1t is not difficult matter to see the
great evils that might result from this
state of affairs
The gentleman from Fairfield tells
of the influence the political SEN
timents of judges has over their judi
cial decisions, and cites, by way of H.
lustration, the well known case of
Dred Scott VS.. Sandford. He could
also have told us that very many of
the people of this country thought that
the court had been nodded to that end
by the appointing power. But how
ever that may be, it is a fact not to be
denied that the appointing power,
whatever may be it's source, the people
or the executive, will place in authori
ty those who will most probably carry
out it's will and design.
II great political questions are be
fore the people, the settlement of
which may be in the Supreme Court,
the election of this court all at one
time puts it in the hands OF the people
to mold, by a single election, the
opinion of the court, and thus make
the election of the people the judicial
tribunal, instead of the court proper.
If the election of this court by single
judges at different times be continued,
such results cannot obtain. But one
mind can probably be controlled by
such an election. The independence
and purity of the court is maintained,
and the rights of minorities protected
and enforced.
The Supreme Court of the State has
received the unqualified appreciation of
every gentleman on this floor who has
had occasion to refer to it. The puri-
ty of the character of all the several
judges who have been honored with
seat on that bench has been referred
to with pride and admiration. They
have been, and are, men of the purcst
character, and above suspicion. The
system by which they are chosen
offers them no inducement to be 9th
erwise. The majority of the court are
entirely out of the influences of the
questions controlling any single cleo
ton. The people are prepared at any
time, for any 3ecial occasion or ques
ton, from molding a court at a single
election, to carry out behest of party,
or do injustice to a minority. The
evils sought to be obviated are com
pletely, by the system OF single elec-
tions. Amy change from this
will work mischief and prove danger
Gus. The doctrine of proportional
representation was devised to obviate
the evils incident to the election of
several at one time to the same office.
Strike at the root of the evil, by de-
stroying the mischievous cause, and
then no necessity exists for the rem
edy.
The gentleman from Miami, Mr..
Dorsey, complains of the great evil
and wrong of the present elective sys
TEN, and upon inquiry what the evil is,
be defines it to be that one party
ClGCISs OSCduSG IL 10 NuC
and the minority does not elect. This
is the whole complaint. Now, what is
the evil of the present system2 sub
nit that no gentleman has shown II:
any practical evil result growing out
of our present system in the past.
They do not complain that hereto
fore the rights of minorities have been
restrieted or imposed upon. The ter
ribIe wrongs are those to come. They
are now about to be let loose, and this
new system is the only salvation oi
the country.
This, says the gentleman, will do
away with all political frauds and
wrongs. No conventions or caucuses
will ever hereafter be packed or con.
trolled by tricksters. Now is the
dawn of the great political millennium,
and in this grand panacea for politica
ills the politician
Can battle his wearied soul
In seas of heavenly rest
And not wave of trouble roll