Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-04-30
ELECTION FOB PROBATE JUDGE.

The election for probate judge IN THU
county takes place next Tuesday. Tht
law will be found on tho fourth page.
Citizens have generally made up thei1
minds regarding the matter, but there
seems to be an efsrt to obscure thu
facts,if not to dlstort them. It is asser'
ted that the supreme court has decided
that Judge Cannon has the right Il
hold the office for two years. This il
absolutely untrue. We print the decis
ion elsewhere. Nothing of the kind vii
be found in it. The court emily decide.
that thsrs was no provision in the law fol
an election last November. The present
attornsy-gsnsral who was . member o.
the thirtieth general assembly. and 9th
srs whe helped to make the law Of 1879,
thought there wa no doubt that the leg
islature intended that there should bs
elections held in counties whore the
term Of judges OF probate expired In
1850, bat the court refused to consider the
intent. though there are many prscsdsdtl
fer thsir - doing.
Jadgs Gammon's term having sxpir:
ID in August, 1880. and there being
. deubt - to the legality Of his sue
essssr. the thirty-frst general assembly
passed . law prsviding'f for IN. election
next week. The charge that the bill
was suuggled though the legislature /.
IN Insult Mr.. Carter. whs introduce
Cd 1t, aad whs IL N honorable gentle
nal. incapable Of descending TO petty
tricks. 1t 10 further asserted that Judge
Herd agreed 70 abide BY the decision et
the suprsDs esurt. This II , malicious
falsshosd, charging in honorable man
with . d~isgrasefuf not. II James B.
Hord hid made such q promise he would
suffer hii arm 70 b cut Of before he
wsald violats his 'plighssd word. He
does noe want an ONCE bad enough for
that. Before all things he rstaembsrs
that he u . gentleman ; and he would
lsss his self respect were he to violate
n sbligatisn. No; neither directly or
isdireetly did he VI sgrse 70 such a
compact. He had nc bright to do 50. He,
was nsmfn.tsd Il the primary election
II June, 1880, BY ! vote Of 1857 to l.,
496 for beth Of his oppslshts..' He,
tksrstsrs, became the candidate Of tho
dsmoeracy of the county. In Novsm-
bsr hs was elected ~ . vote Of s.164 to
1854 Tor Judge Kirkpatrick. He then
bscans the choice Or the entire people
Of the county Tor the place. -.
It 10 asserted BY some persons that
the court having decided against him,
Hord should have acquiesced in
their decision. Hs;doss. Il there any
evidence that he proposss to try to
override it, Of course not. But the
that the legislature did not
havs the right by law TO remedy = de-
tsot in = previous law cannot be seri:
ously made. It would DO q anonstrous
proposition. II would contsnplate the
in Office of any man who
could ind . law In the law providing
for his successor. It would assassinats
government. The lsgisr
latars not only had fright to pass 81
law fer . new election, but it wa its
duty to do 70. It is contrary to the
spirit Of our institutions t. permit men
hold Office by laehes Of the law and,
especially 10 1t incumbent upon . lsgls-
latars t. see to it that this shall net be
he case when the people are 80 greatly
- they have been in this case,
Judge CANNON could very gracefully
and easily have made way for bis sue.
asssor had hs desired to do 50. and. IS
W tsld him before January. It would
have bssn much better tor him to have
ooAs 70. 49,. " s-n1. .Esl r..
+, The time has come when the people
can express themselves At the polls, and
eve it to Themselves to do 20.