Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-08-15
An Honest Change Of Heart.

EDITOR 1RANSCRuPT:-Nne men any man
changes his opinion about persons and
things, deem 1t due to his former asso-
ciates, tn at he inform them of the fact in
some way, and while it may not be the
best way to always do it through the press,
yet take this method, simply because I
have at different times expressed my
opinion the same way, although differ
emily from what shall now. I have for
about a year upheld the Judge of the
10th district, both in his public and pri-
vate life, believing that all the trouble in !
and about Austin, came out of an unreas-
enable opposition on the part of the
oticeholders and their friends to the au.
thority delegated by law to said judge,
and that said officers were in some in !
stances placing the county to unnecessa.
ry expense; and believing this felt anx-
ious that Judge Page should escape the |
humiliation of impeachment not so much |
for his sake, as for the Office he holds, for
I did then and do now consider the im-
peachment of a judge a dangerous ex-
pertinent TO introduce into our political |
system, for the reason that bad men
might at any time, to escape investigation
or punishment, combine and impeach
any judge whom they could not intim-
idate, or who happened to be in the way
of carrying out certain schemes at the
peoples expense. Judge Page escaped
impeachment, and came home to Austin
10 use the language of one OF his lady
:riends) "conquering" hero; and had the
laurels he so barely won have fallen on a
we'll balanced head, he might have reach
ed the height of his highest ambition
ere many years-had he laid the tyrant's
scepter down and said to his enemies "let
us have peace" but instead of this, he
begins to breathe or rather hiss out
threatenings against all who had opposed
him, (although have been slow to be.
lieve :t,) which has created feeling so
much deeper than before, that will not
even attemp: TO describe it; but have
seen tears in the eyes of one of Austin's
most respected citizens as he declared
that the only earthly inducement which
kept HIM there, was the solemn fact that
he could not leave the grave of his only
child! Can it be true then, that q
judge who by simply condescending
enough to let people enjoy the freedom
of their own households, and enjoy the
privilege of doing their own private bus
mess in their own way, could win back
his enemies, that he does, IN spite of al !
the advice and protestations of his
friends, insist on stirring up strife and
keeping alive that animositY toward him.
self, which always is the result Of tyran'
ny? Or does he imagine that he, like
Alexander the Great has conquered all the
world, and chatting because there is no
new fields open for conquests, to satiate
his thirst must 60 to killing off the
people one BY one simply because he has
the power? think he was elected upon
q different platform, and it would be
more honor to him to win back one
enemy than 10 slay thousand. If he
push any man off the sidewalk, his po-
sition is not too high to ask that mans
forgiveness. If he buy house of very
intimate friend, then let HIM not drive
out the friends wife and child in the ab.
scnce of her husband, for by doing this
and many other kindred things, he exas.
perates his enemies, he humiliates and
discusts his friends, he places himself in
position which no honest man knowing
the facts can uphold, he creates terror,
anarchy, hate, his hand seems to be
against every man who does not see fit
to obey his imperious mandates. or who,
through fear, makes himself fawning
sycophant at the feet of him whom he
despises. Having no personal i'll will
against the man, I have only believed
when the evidence has been 80 plain, tina:
there was no shadow of room for doubt,
and anything which may have said in
his favor has been done because conscien.
tiously believing that his enemies aad no:
! himself were to blame for all this dis
gushing business. I do not seek to
chan &c the good opinion any one may
have Of him, but hope he will conduct
himself In : manner which will make
oil his enemies his friends, and thereby
gain Z greater victory than from the i'm
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