Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-05-21
THE PROBATE JUDGESHIP.

THE PROBATE JUDGESHIP.
Judge Cannon has at last yielded the
Office OF Judge of probate for Lafayette
county to Judge Hord, who was elected
to it last November, and again this
month. The Intelligsncer has strongly
reprobated the course pursued by Judge
Cannon in holding on to the Office. bul
1t has, at the same time, always treated
him with courtesy, and %counseled mod
Grafton t. many citizens who were dis
posed to assert their opinion OF his acts
IN an arbitrary manner. We are free to
confess. that this moderation upon Oul
part wal entirely prompted by what We
thought good public policy, as no soon
or did We venture, in the mildest posi-
BILE manner, to assert our opinion on
this question than Judge Cannon
chose to resent it a. q personal affront
Our relations had always before thai
been friendly, and We said SO; but when
the Judge did what We considered to be
wrong, We as frankly and freely asserted
our opinion.
We are told that Judge Cannon has
treated Judge Hord as he treated the In
telligencsr. There is no more kindly
and genial gentleman alive than James
B. Hord, and there was NO reason, when
1t became necessary tor Judge Cannon
to yield to the inevitable, why he should
net gracefully and politely have turned
the Office over to his legal successor in
person. He chose. rather, to have moth
ing to say to Judge Hsrd.an permitted
his clerk to transfer tho Office.
This Is all wrong. If any person hai
a right to be pstulant in the matter, il
is the Lafayette county voter, whs cleo
ted Judge Hord when Judge Cannon
had served tho full ak years for which
he was elected. and whs had then t.
hold another election before he could in
stall his choice. That voter, like the
Intelligenosr. did not assert any opinion
as to the legality Of the election in No
vember. but he was very firm and very
decided in believing that Judge Gam
mon, having served the specified term
of years for which he was elected should
either have offered for reelection OF
yielded the sffice. This could have boon
done very gracefully IN January, and
would have saved soms bitter feeling,
and the second election. As We have
before remarked, If any mi has . right
to feel vsxed. it is tho Lafayette county
voter, but rs he has preserved his tenn.
per wonderfully well, though terribly
exercised and annoyed. We advise, al
the subject is ended. that any alimosi.
ties which may have grown out of il
may be allowed to become sxtinguished
About the poorest business any a can
engage in is to bate another because OF
politics.
Before dropping the subject for good,
we desire to say a few words about the
law under which the last election was
held. It wa not a special law as con
templated BY the constitution; its con.
stitutionality has never been question
cd in an u%ninterested quarter, aad yei
the specious plea that it was so was b.
lieved by some Of Judge Hord's friends.
The law. though q little awkwardly
worded. was. constitutional, proper, GOV.
cred the case, and had the effect intend
ed BY tho legislature ; still there were
democrats who thought it would be oi
, n.effect, and refrainsd from voting on
that account.
A lesson that democrats need to study
Is to be moro %self-reliant. more aggres-
siye to put iron in their blood, and to
deserve ucces by fighting for it. The
sailly-shally, milk-and-water policy
won't do; and the first exercise in the
alb alb OF fpolitics, as of war. is to
learn especially to distrust the enemy
when he offers to make plans for us.
We congratulate the people Of the
county upon the iasl triumph Of their
will; and We feel satisfied that in James
B. Hord they will find An able, consci
entious, courteous and honest public
ooruorf