The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1874-02-05
Letter from Cincinnati.
CINCINNATI, January so, 1874.


To the Editor of the Standard
During the past week the Constitu-
tional Convention has been at work on
the judicial Article, and are about
through with it, As soon as it is en-
crossed [ will furnish it. The Conven-
tion have worked on that Article five or
six weeks One change makes the salary
of Supreme Judges 5000 per annum-
After the discussion had been finished
on this Article as reported from the COM
mittee on the Judicial Department and
amended by the committee of the Whole,
Mr. Ewing, of Fairfield, moved the adop-
ton of this additional section:
SEC In every election for Judges
of the Supreme and Circuit courts, when
three or more are to be chosen of the
same court and for the same term of SER
vice. each elector shall vote for no greater
number of candidates than majority of
the Judges of such court and term then
to be chosen.
The Legislature shall submit to the
electors of the State, at the general elec-
ton in the fall of 1876, the question
whether this section shall be stricken
from the Constitution; and if majority
of the votes cast on the question shall
be in favor of striking it out, it shall
thereafter be null and void"
The objection make to this plan is
that it takes the right of selecting Judges
from the people and gives it to political
cliques and rings. As for instance: Sup
pose we have in district 25 900 electors
and 10000 are Democrats Now we want
to elect three Judges. The parties hold
their Conventions to nominate candidates,
the Republicans nominate two candi-
dates, and the Democrats nominate one.
The work of the cliques and rings in Sc
curing the nomination of certain men
being over, the people at the polls have
no selection to make. nothing to do but
ratify the action of the Conventions, as
there are three Judges to elect and only
three candidates. The Republicans can
give each of their candidates l5, 600 votes
and the Democrats can give their candi-
date 10000 votes. Under the above plan
it is claimed that better men can be Sc
cured as it doubles the range of choice.
/ claim it does not, as it only gives the
people one-half as many men to select
from, or three when three are to be
elected, instead of six when three are to
be elected, as under our present system
but it does not stop here, it proposes to
give the entire power to nominating con
ventions, and take away one-third of the
present power of an elector when three
are to be elected, or two-ffths when five
are to be elected.
The important questions connected
with that part of the Constitution relat
ing to the elective franchise will soon be
before the Convention. We advise the
friends of Woman Suffrage to be up and
doing if they wish to aid the cause by
way of petitions. Mr.. A. G. Voris, o
Summit county, is the champion of Wo
man Suffrage in the Convention, and his
argument for the measure will be an able
one. He is Chairman of the Select Com
mittee on Woman Suffrage, and is work
ing hard to secure the rights denied tc
one-half of his constituents, namely. the
right to vote.
We notice large number of petitions
calling on the Convention to put clause
in the Constitution recognizing Almighty
God and the Christian Religion. at
seems to me-" Gas the gentleman from
Franklin, Mr.. Baber, would say,) tha
this is unnecessary, as the Constitution
will, if properly framed, be a recognition
of Almighty God in itself, being framed
in accordance with His law, and givinl
equal and exact justice to all, men anc
women. If this is done, it will be un
necessary to express the recognition il
words, as the boy had to do who made
the picture on his slate of horse. No
body could tell what it was, SO he wrote
under it, This is horse"
Yours truly,
CHARLES RHODES.