The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-11-04
AN OPEN LETTER.
To the Citizens of Psttis County.

The time has now come for plain
words, and the BAzoo would be false
to itself were it too cowsrdly to speak
them. So let us be candid with one
another and reason together. We
are in the majority in Pettis county
and on our shoulders rests the respon-
sibility of employing an attorney into
whose hands We place the
public veal. The duties of the office
are in no way political. If they are
well performed, good order will be
maintained among Us, the laws obey
ed, and murderers, robbers, thieve
and scoundrels swiftly and adequately
punished and the county successfully
defended In her litigation.
What have the people the right to
expect? The people have the right
to expect from the county attorney
that his knowledge of real estate law
shall be so good, that not a dollar OF
the sacred school fund shall be loaned
on defective title. This is the grave
duty he is charged with. Now would
one of us in our private business mat
ters, invest thousands of dollars, upon
the judgment of young Jacks IN, who,
in all human prOba bility, never exam
ined an abstract title in his life?
The people have a right to expect
from the county attorney that the
school fund itself shall be
largely augmented in the next two
years by fines and penalties arising
from successful prosecutions. Now,
let us be honest with one another.
Which of the two candidates can do
US the most good in this behalf?
Which will it pay to elect, jackson or
Lamm? The question answers Itself.
The people have the right to demand
of the prosecuting attorney ajudg-
ment 81 educated Dy experience that
he shall not start or carry on any
petty, foolish or spiteful prosecutions,
which end always in bleeding the tax
payers with heavy bills of costs.
Which of these two men will save the
most money in this matterf The
one a pop-in.jsy and inexperienced
youth. the other q careful and pru-
dent lawyer And what else have
we the right to demand of the prose-
cutting attorney? Over and above ali
things We have the right to demand
of him that he shall have such tact
and equipoise, such genuine courage
aud experience, such knowledge of
the law, and ability that he shall go
into the criminal court and with equal
chance contend on the side of the
commonwealth against the ablest
counsel a criminal can employ. That
he shall know how to draft a legal
Indictment. That he shall know what
competent evidence is, and introduce
it on trial. That he shall know how
to formulate correct legal propositions
in his instructions. That he shall be
quick and ready in emergencies and
be able TO present opposite authorities
to the court and then argue his cause
to jury as only sagscious advocate
knows how. Is this standard too high ?
Have we not all seen many just
cause lost, because lawyer was over
matched? Have not the people the
right to as good a lawyer Oh their side,
as rogue can hire to stay the whip
of Justice? Do we want to pay for all
the costly machinery of a criminal
court with grand and petit juries,
clerks, sheriffs and witnesses, only
to see the roaring farce ended of
putting Cliff. Jackson against any
one of dozen lawyers that might be
named at our bar? Careful inquiry
has been made, and if he ever won
more than two contested cases IN
aided, in the circuit court in his life,
tie fact is not known, and We cannot
find that he ever alone tried a case in
the criminal court and won il. Shall
we then pay him money from the
public treasury wrung from us by
taxation, and give him an office,