Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-12-30
THE PENDING JUDICIAL ELECTION.
Judge Mills Opinions Respect
ing the Same.
Are the Members of the Bar Opposed
to Him as a Candidatea
If So, Upon What Grounds.
Reasons of the Increasing Divergence
Between Supreme and In
ferior Courts.
LANCASTER, Wis, Dec. ~, 1875.

LANCASTER, Wis, Dec u, 1875.
EDITOR HERALD 1t really seems like old
times The Democratic fox is looking up at
the Republican rooster on his perch and telling
him to come down, shake hands, and crow, for
the advent of universal peace between beasts,
birds and men, and Democrats and Republicans.
"Party nominations" says the virtuous Mo-
ses NJ, who has an appeal ready that will short
" gladden. and enlighten the electors of this
Judicial District party nominations are in
violation of the spirit if not the letter of the
constitution" In 1852 he admits that the
Democratic party nominated Judge Cothren.
He repents of the grave error in such partisan
movement. don't know which to admire or
most distrust, Mr.. Strong's naive repentance
or his sincerity. In 1852 the Democrats as
was supposed had the majority in this judicial
District and they took the advantage and had
the benefit of superior numbers. It is some
what striking that the opinion and practices
of that party has shifted with maorities.--
Napoleon told us that Providence was on the
side of the strongest battallions Please show
US any instance where the Democratic party
associated as it now is with squad of Reform
ers--some of them disappointed and hungry
having a reliable majority, has not used that
majority either through conventions or aside
from them in electing true Democrats to judi
u a.. - Il
desire that the Republican party should hold
a convention for nominating candidate for
Circuit Judge in this Circuit. But if such
nomination should be made our opponents have
no reason to express their suspicion in advance
that political bias will have the slightest
bearing on the administration of justice
hereabouts. What their ingenuity and special
dislike could not suggest, even against your
humble servant, they need not anticipate in
any other Republican.
But, Mr.. Editor, please take notice of the
terms that the magnanimous Reformers are
willing to grant US provided We surrender
our party banners at discretion. They will
kindly furnish US with the candidate they in
tend to do the nominating for US and relieve
Us Of all trouble excep. the voting part. Sir,
how far do you suppose the so-called Reform
ers and Democrats would carry their non-par~
tisan professions into practice Six years ago
the leaders of that party, especially its law
yers, told US to bring out anybody but Judge
Mills and they would vote for him. Suppose
it should appear pretty manifest that large
majority of the people desired I should again
be a candidate? These leaders, though they
file of their party would move Heaven and
earth, if they were able, to defeat me- new
er said | would run again, but they have
shown their hostility in advance as they did
before, and am quite confident when the real
ground of that rancor is exposed, the people
by large majority will either vote for me if
should run, or for some one who entertains
similar opinions with mine as to the objects
and purposes of courts of justice, the manner
law should be administered and what the Judge
should aim at
Dlu NOu IlOt Icdu sbitltlilHt avn Il huthntHb
emanating from that fertile brain that revels
in newspaper columns, and essays to contro
all party nominations from United States Sens
ator to a local Justice of the Peace? Did not
that document inform you that "the lawyers"
were opposed to Judge Mills" and that no
person should be elected as Judge against
their wishes. Well, years ago you heard the
same thing that a convention of the bar with
out regard to party had met in Prairie du
Chen and nominated my opponent for Judge.
Now, Mr. Editor, | should like to know who
these LAWYERS were-who are they that are SO
inimical to me to day? I have never run nor
ever will manage a court in the interest OF
the legal profession or any other class OF per-
sons / cannot be an instrument in the hands
cial interests. must as long as ! am Judge
be free mau | am to be handled only by
convincing my reason. As Judge have act
ed towards the b,r with fairness and impair
TALLY, but have never acted or spoken as
if courts of Justice were instituted and paid for
By the people for the special benefit and adj
vantage of the legal profession. Where 1t lay
in nv power have cut down extravagant
charges; and $50 or 300 stipulated for the
foreclosure of an ordinary mortgage in addition
to statutory allowance, was sure to encounter
judicial censure and curtailment. am re-
garded mean as Governor Taylor when he cut
down the wages of the mop women about the
capitol and threatened to let the job of scrub
bling the floors out to his wife. The same
stripe of lawyers that fought me in 1870 with
such frantic zeal and hatred are alive yet, and
l see no reason why the same voters that dis
appointed them then should not do so again
But YOU know there are members Of the bar of
this Circuit, and not few of them, whose
enlarged vision reaches beyond the cliques
and nsrrowness of professional pride, who
fully recognizable relation of their noble pro-
fession to the broad humanity TO which it is
allied, who honor in Judge that quality of
mind and heart that enables him to demonstrate
In his decisions the aptness and fitness of
legal rules to promote actual justice and cqu-
ity between man and man; with such members
of the bar datter myself | am not despised
but am even decidedly popular. l also call
the attention of the readers of the HERALD to
the fact that the style of lawyers who regard
me as Judge with unspeakable adherence,
also arrogate to themselves the exclusive right
to dictate to the people who shall be my suc-
cessor. The Idea Is, let him be Jeffries or
Draco, but it must rot be Judge Mills. They
even had the shamelessness to contend for
their right of nomination in the public prints,
on the ground of their superior fitness, till the
trenchant pen of old Luther Brown frightened
them into more polite course.
But no member of the bar can say that any
personal feeling on my part has in the least
affected my official action towards him. J
consider il no just cause Of affront to say to
Il.