The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-07-14
Letter from apilly arubber."
Mrsr PorNr. Mss. July 8, 1881.

T
/ previous letters; and I am exceedingly
I gratifed to know that the grand ola doc
| trine is still the cardinal tenet in the iaith
of TIE unterriied.
! The Comet, a short time ago, saw proper
4 TO go out of his way TO make an unjust anu
/ unnatural attack upon the lawyers OF the
State. by stating that nine-tenths OF the OPP
,osition TO the denomination of Gov. Stone
came from LAWYERS who had been applicants
1 for judicial positions at the hands OF Gov
Stone. and had been disappointed in their
aspirations. Now, without stopping to dis
discuss so absurd and ridiculous a state
ment, will take up the other side ana ask
how many Judges, Chancellors, or other
appointees of the Governor, you can find ia
the State, who do not favor his renomina
ton and who are not most industrIouSly at
work among all their influences To retain
the Governor? Now do not misunderstand
me; am not censuring the friends of the
various gentlemen who have been appointed
to Office by Gov Stone, for working for his
denomination. This is perfectly natural 1t
is generally understood, that it is right for
man to stick up to his friends, and right
here lies the danger which rotation IN the
Executive office prevents. There are a
Judges and Chancellors in the State, every
one of whom has been appointed by Gov.
Stone. He has appointed the Chaneeilors
twice, the Circuit Judges once, and the Su-
preme Judges once, besides having supplied
several vacancies, the exact number do not
remember And | will add the appoint
ments of the Governor, 50 far as my knowl-
edge extends have been good, and L do not
think the State ever had more able or hon
est, or incorruptible Judiciary than now.
regard our Supreme Court the equal OF that
of any State in the Union, and far superior
to most courts of last resort of the other
States. Our Circuit Judges and Chancel-
lors are gentlemen of learning, and unques-
toned integrity But all the Judges and
Chancellors are men, and nothing more.
They and their friends are bound to feel
kindly towards the one man who made
them Chancellors, Judges, etc, and if elect
ed Governor again can make as many more.
Suppose Gov. Stone is reelected, and in
1892 the Legislature shall, over his veto,
pass bill involving some constitutional
question, and afterwards he comes TO make
his appointments of Judges. Upon the
question involved in the supposed law, there
is difference of opinion among the lawyers
of the State. Do you suppose Gov. Stone |
would send to the Senate the name of law |
yer who was known to hold the law con |
stitutional? You may say he would, that
he is an honest, pure man, and would not let
such considerations control him in his APP
pointments. Well, fine is man, and not
more than human, land don't think he is)
he would do just like all others before him
have done.
But you say the Senate can reject. True
again but you can't force the Governor to
send to the Senate the name of any lawyer !
for Judge that he does not wish to nominate
The great evil is in having one branch of
the Government dependent on the Execu-
tive. No man can deny that our Judiciary
is dependent upon the Executive, and am
in favor of a law like they have in some /
other States, declaring that no man shall
hold the office of Governor longer than one
term. The official patronage of the Govern
or is so great in this State, that unless we
do enact such law there is great danger
of the establishing of personal party, which
will grow stronger and stronger every year.
Personally l am a friend of Gov. Stone; /
like him as a man, and think he has made
a fair Governor. Nor do I belong to that
class OF men that the Comet was looking at
by the light of its tall when it said the OPP
position to Gov. Stone came from disap-
pointed applicants for office at his hands.
For myself, never asked any thing Of Gov
ernor Stone, or any other Governor, nor did
I ever ask any thing of Gov. Stone for
friend, but what was granted. l was of those
who petitiOned for the appointment of fudge
Arnold, and he granted our prayer; also
was of those who asked for the appoint
ment of Chancellor Brame, and our request
was granted and last, | was among the
many who petitioned the Governor to APP
point Chancellor Critz and our request was
complied with. l have no complaint to
prefer against Governor Stone, still l think
it best that we should have change. l do !
not want any one-man government. nor any !
thing that approximates it. l want to see c
every branch of the government free and
wholly independent of the other. This can
not be, with one man as Governor for ten
years He will exert, in the very nature of
things, an influence on the Judiciary. 1t is /
human to lean towards those who help us i,
and advance US to positions of honor, aud
aid US to keep the wolf from our door We
are just commencing a new epoch in the
history of the State, and if we will be wise
we will sink our personal preference and
Kind feelings towards Governor Stone, and
let our judgment and reason control us.
There Is no man In the State big enough, :
good enough, nor pure enough, out of whom ,
10 make Governor for ten years, and GER '
tainly Governor Stone does not have anv a
claims superior to hundreds of other good q
men il The State. Who will say that he is a I
better man, or has made a better Governor g
than either ofthe following gentlemen would
have made, viz: Gen. Featherston, Gen.
Gholson, Judge Houston, Gen. Tucker, t
Capt Woods. Col. Percy, Judge Calhoon, +
Capt. Taylor, Chancellor Graham. Col.
Blair, Maj. Barksdale, Col Hemingway. :
zen. Chalmers, Gen. Walthall or hundreds .
If others. In this contest Clay county n
will favor Maj. Barksdale, first and Gen. q
teatherston next, but will vote for any
nan for Governor who is worthy and we'll IN
qualified, who will deeIaIe himself in favor c
# rotation and opposed to life estateism a
n public Offices. b
For State Treasurer, we are solid for our
John
JOHN ". gURHRvILLE,
Tut when he shall have held it as long "a h
'ol Hemingway has, we will be for leaving c.
i'm out, and putting another out in. 81
BILLY GRUBBER.