St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-08-16
The County Nominations.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE.

These qualifications must of course,
vary according to the duties to be per-
formed. 1t is not expected that weak
men will be nominated to represent the
people in the highest branch of ouI
state legislature, nor that dishonest,
partial, easily-prejudiced, undiscrimi-
mating men will worthily fill the post OF
assistant judge, even if this latter is
chiefly an ornamental station. There
is well-nigh unanimous consent to the
wisdom of electing to the office of pro-
bate judge a man not only wise, clear
headed, and reliable, but also expert
enced, cautious, exact; hence the long
continuance of good man in this office.
But in regard to some of the other
officers in question there has not always
been the same prudent consideration.
Why, for instance, has it, here and
there, come to be the custom to rotate
the Office of states attorney among the
younger lawyers very nearly in the
order of their admission to the bar ?
First, because comparatively few busy,
law abiding citizens take much personal
interest in the execution of the laws,
and care little who is delegated to exc
cute them. There is more time and
thought voluntarily given to the break
ing than to the maintenance of law
"What is everybOdy's business is no.
body's," and men sin against themselves
and their fellows by enduring or silent
ly witnessing vice and crime, instead of
complaining of it and assisting to check
and punish it. Secondly, the caucuses
and nominating conventions are con-
siderably managed by young lawyers
who are the aspirants for this and other
sooner B, C, and d come in, and this is
the great incentive to wire-wOI king for
rotation, this the great reason why most
of the young lawyers of this and other
counties, not yet having filed the Office
of states attorney, work unremittingly
for new officer each two years. Third
ly, the mass of voters do not consider,
as they ought, the peculiar qualifica-
tons which prosecutor of crime should
possess. By many it seems to be taken
for granted that any lawyer is compe-
tent for the performance of every sort
of legal business. Or, if not quite that,
there is, at least, the undertaking of the
Importance of the Office in question, and
except among those who need defense,
an inadequate conception of the quail
ties which constitute a good criminal
lawyer. Ought the prosecuting attOr-
ney to he one whit less able, shrewd, or
intelligent, than the average of lawyers
employed for the defense of criminals I?
If it be answered, that in important
cases older counsel is often retained by
the state for the prosecution, we reply,
not generally till the initiatory stages
of the case are past, not till the evil
dence must be collected, the indictment
drawn, and the preliminary examina-
ton held. Defect in this early work
vitiates, often ruins the work under
taken to be done. But, with these,
there are other qualities which prose-
cutting officer should eminently possess.
l. He should be an incorruptible man.
Certainly, if in league with law break
ers, or disposed to compromise with
them, he is not fit for the place. But,
Furthermore, he should be proof against
temptation. For temptation he will
meet. To postpone the trial of case,
or consent to its postponement for a
trivial reason, to move for an made
quate bail or to accept the bond of ir-
responsible sureties, to withhold evil
dence that might be produced, or to
fail to seek it-these only suggest some
of the less known, or secret ways in
which this officer may be tempted to
the non-fulfilment of his duty, and in
respect to which the great mass of the
community may be never the wiser.
But it is the duty of prosecuting officer
to use his utmost efforts for the admin
istering of impartial justice to all, hav-
ing no respect to considerations OF
acquaintance, friendship, money, OF
station, and for him who consciously
swerves from duty the true man has
only contempt.
2. He should be fearless man. Hon
esty alone is not sufficient. The intel
ligent attorney may prove a weak
arraigner of culprits. This is no place
for timid, undecided man. Discretion
and caution are needful that one may
make sure of his ground, but boldness
and promptitude at times are no less
necessary. Napoleon won victories be-
cause he plunged among his enemies
before they were ready to meet him.
Criminals are best taken unawares.
Mere personal considerations should be
put out of the account, and out of mind.
Threats, even of personal violence, will
not deter the right sort of man from the