News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-12-04
COUNTY COURT,
Chief Justice RoYce.

| The citizens of st. Adams to the
J number of 1877, have addressed this
letter to Chief Justice Royce:
To Hon. Homer e. Royce:
'sThe undersigned, citizens of st.
Adams, without distinction of party,
DESTROYS of expressing their confidence
in you, as the chief justice of this
State, and as appreciative of the vim
dication which you have received at
the hands of an intelligent jury and
by the recent action of the Legisla-
ture in your reelection for another
term, cordially invite you to pub
lie dinner TO be given to you at the
Weldon House at such early day as
may suit your convenience"
To this Judge Royce replied as fol-
lows:
"Gentlemen-I beg to acknowl-
edge, with the highest sense of appre-
citation and gratitude, your cordial in
vitation to meet you at public dinner
to be given at the Weldon House, at
such day and date as may designate.
Public officers, judicial as we'll as 9TH
ers, should expect and be willing to
| live and act IN the searching light OF
public criticism. This is of the very
spirit of our institutions, and Is well,
not only as constant reminder that
the interests they have in charge are
the peoples, and that to the people
they are directly accountable for the
| al,
charged, as kindly admonition to
every increasing effort in the direction
of better public service. That The
tendency, of late, is to over-pass the
limits of legitimate criticism for leglt
, innate and healthy ends, and subJec
9 incumbents of, and candidates for
public offices to the shafts of partisan
and personal malignity, is fact tina
u has been so forced upon the publi
It sense that all admit, and all honor
II able and conscientious men deplor
+ it. Having passed through consider
b able personal experience of this ten
dency, your letter, representing as
: does generally, all the. interests, bus
Ie mess, professional and social, in th
le town in which / have lived, and wher
10 so considerable a part of my judieis
service has been performed for til
past fourteen years, it is to me
% most grateful expression of conf
~ dence and good will. You have bee
! my neighbors, and l trust l may say
=, my friends. My private life and m
oof constant observation you have hear
# again and again all the evil that coul
70 be said of me; you are familiar wit
If its purposes and in position to judg
70 Understandings concerning it and mi
|. Your opinion here expressed, that
y your fellow citizen my life has nj
h been entirely unworthy, and that s
y you believe have at least tried TO q
:, my duty faithfully, will be always or
j of the pleasantest things life has gi7
a. en- me to remember.
Of While 1 appreciate your kind inv
n tation in the spirit which prompted
and while it would give me the grea
o est pleasure to accept, think upon
v little reflection you will agree with n
g that it is more appropriate to foree
y that pleasure. L know that amor
A the class of judges whose example
feel best satisfied to follow, it has n,
been customary to accept comp
M ments of this kind while in the acti,
IN discharge of their judicial dutie
is and from the people of their regul
9. judicial districts, whose causes thu
a. are most likely to be called upon
try. While do not hope to escal
unmerited abuse, nor to make n
ne course so free from error as to disar
rt criticism, it is my earnest desire to d
to serve q continuance of your GOO
j. opinion and that of all the Peep
who judge impartially and with know