The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-11-28
The Supreme Bench.

AOlSlu among uN EIiuiS O"ie" |" i""r
iur. For tho first time i'll many years TIT
.ax-pnyorS are represented by i ma)orllJ
in both houses. aud the Democracy OF on
:statc can now address itself TO the needed
reforms untranmrllcd. We might be
tempted to look backwardand II let OF!
ewes gaze awhile Oil the stormy, troubled
scenes Of last winter; but we need moi, loi
lie memory Of the struggles, Inc uA,l'
gers. the anxicticS. is fresh il TIC nt'hu'
Of all: and the fat Of cur final ami com
plclc triumph gives us abundant reason
ii mont other existed, for joining heartily
and gladly i'll the services proper L
THANKSGIVING bay.
Tho session just ba%s!n Will be olle o
hard work. IN tic sphere OF Legislation
crave questions will c"rno up demanding
to be settled. These have been discussed
i'll the public press, and on the publl'
platform, and we can trust our Rcprcsen
tativcs to do even more and Letter WORK
this wear than was accomplished last year
But in addition to this the ordinary lcglS
lative work, the Senate and the House
will have to attend at once 10 filling some
vacancies III high places. These are tn
| position Oh tie Circuit Bench made va
| can't by Judge Northrop, to which Speak
or Wallace will doubtless be elected
| The consequent vacancy in the Speakers
! chair, which w HOBO to soc filled by "ui
| REPRESENTATIVE L. y. Conner and, mos
tiuportant Of the three, the vacancy OF
the Supreme Bench which Associate JUS
lice Wright will surely make by his res
iruatson, 20 prevent its being made by hl'
Impeachment and removal. For thi'
hirh office several candidates lavo becl
announced in the newspapers. Pity 1t il
that wo have to speak of ca ltddf'" Tor ;
seat on the Supreme Bench. Time wa:
when We brcathcd the spirit Of a purer AL
and South Carolina knew not ing I"
~clcctionccring for the high honors OF he
Judiciary. One Of the unlovcly fruits o
Radicalism is this beSmirching of the u
d;cial ermine with the dust and dirt o
ranvassing. In better times those hiSi
offices sought tho MEMS
OF those brought forward in the new
papers the most prominent are w. u
Porter. of Charleston, eX-tiovcrnor Bon
ham, of I;lgcticld, and Col. y. {. Has
; kcll. of Columbia. The merits Of these
gentlemen have been freely and consplc
! uouslv discussed in the press OF oul
State. Some Of the papers have even
| urged the claims of their farorite candl
. date on geographical grounds. urging tina
because county y has obtained the elect
ton of Judge b and county Cthe election
of Senator D., therefore county r justly
claims the election of f. For our rar
we consider that the course of the Gen
eral Assembly is clear and unmlStakable
It is theirs to elect to the Associate j Justice
ship the man best qualified for the due
performance OF tho duties OF that hlgl
Office. Let them select from the gentle
men nominated tho one most dlstll'.
guishcd for his legal attainmcntS and en-
%pcriencc, in whom the legal profession
and the country can place most conf
dcncc, whose learning, ability and judi
cial mind single him out rs the best fitted
to discharge the onerous duties Of the Su-
preme Bench.
1t ts wrong to look upon the honors Of
the Judiciary as rewards to he given for
valor OIL the field Of battle, or for faithful!
party service III al election campaign; and
still worse rs the price of compromise or
the bride to an enemy to bring him over.
Some minor and less important Offices
there are which III grounds of policy
might be so regarded and awarded with.
out much consequent harm. But tho
country demands that the Judiciary be
kept high above so impure an tnlos
phert. 1t asks its Representatives. to be
careful of this one thiug---to elect to the
; Supreme Bench that one of her sons who
is most likely to prove al able juriSt and
an upright judge. If not disappointed
! in this its Just demand. it will forgive
the mistakes of last session when many
Of its Representatives acted against then
country's wishes and their OWN opinions
! II warns the Legislature not to be infiu'
cnced undulv. 1t tells them to let no Sc
cret influence have weight in their coun'
ellis or caucuses. It calls upon them tc
guard iealonsly their independence anc
their integrity. and to emulate the higt
character of that British Parliament
which would not brook the exercise o.
secret influence and undue interference
even by the throne.