The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-12-24

/ tne neart as well as the mead oil the
State, and nine out Of ten Of the real
Democrats sup this way" will say it
is the wisest and best thing we can
do.
You say "If the judicial conyen-
was composed entirely of lawyers, the
Judges selected would be the ablest
and most competent men," But
would not that be complete aband-
onment Of our duplex system Of popu-
lar self-government which rests upon
the will Of a majority Of the People
not the Lawyers-to rule; and would
we not thereby have, for all practical
purposes, an aristocracy Of intellect as
developed in this higher order of soci-
ETY. composed OF the learned lawyers?
If the lawyers want to flock to them
selves and hold a select convention Of
their own, ] say, amen, and amen.
But when you hear one long, loud
blast from the Democratic bugle, call
ing the sovereigns into one grand
council Of the State, let the lawyer
dof his professional robes, and come
to the convention as unit among
sovereigns, Nay, if there was not a
i .
single lawyer in the judicial conven-
tion when it assemblies, the purest and
best men in the State would almost
enfallibly be selected as the candidates
for Supreme Judges. Somehow it has
always happened when the world was
in need of truly great man, the le-
gal profession has been missed, and
such men have been chosen as masses
who was "slow Of speech" or David
who was Shepherd Boy" attending
to his fathers sheep, or a Cincinnatus
who let go the plow handle to take
hold of the sword and hurl the Roman
legions like thunderbolt Of war on
the Equi and Volsci, or our own i'm
mortal Washington, who laid down
his "little hatchet" at the root Of the
cherry tree and stamped his name
with undying fame on two continents,
AS it was in the past, and is now, SO it
win be, world without end: amen.
While | would not detract one iota
from the well-earned fame Of the legal
profession, as such, | must be permit
ted to insist that there is a considera-
BILE amount Of brains and business
ability in the Democratic party out.
side Of the lawyers. Nav, more; |
have read OF the noblest character
that ever adorned the earth or glori-
fed the heavens, whose warning voice
has come laundering down the cen
turies for nearly two thousand years
"Woe unto you also, yc lawyersl for
lse lade men with burdens grieyous to
be borne, and We yourselves touch not
the burdens with one Of your fingersl"
See Luke XI-46.
| Butt |, as long time Democrat and
a paid-up subscriber to The COMET
lever since the day it was born into
the world, have two propositions to
make to all who agree with it
/. agree to disagree with you,
and will abide the action Of a majori-
| ty Of the party. Are you willing for a
majority to ruler se,
| 2, Are you willing for a majority
LOT your Democratic readers--I mean
| Simon pure Democrats, and not that
class OF fellows who dodge about from
one party to the other in search Of tbs
loaves and fishes after the election
to settle the difference between us
Il liza bare majority OF your Democratic
readers will say in a postal card ovel
their own signatures that they are fol
) two conventions, and will attend botl
, 50 as to make them fair and impair
: tial conventions Of the voting popula
/ ton Of the State, ] will throw up th,
sponge and go for two conventions
IL Nor is that all. If you can music
+ one-third OF your readers whose chal
acters are aboye the suspicion OF yish
= ing to feather their own nests in som
: way by holding two conventions, !.
1 will surrender. Then come along MI
: COMET, and mount the Democrat
' wagon, and let us all take a ride wit
o majority Of those who are authorize
r to decide this and all other question
IS Of party law?
II That all pure and patriotic citizen
o of both political parties are in fave
It Of removing the judiciary as far {
4. possible from partisan politics. 60,
III for the saying. But suppose we di
v, fer about the propriety Of holding OF
le or two conventions, and thus diviC
d and distract the councils of the Der
ID ocratic party until some intriguir
q demagogue steps in an combines {
er the disgruntled factions OF the Sta
10 until the Republican monkey &c
10 away with the chestnuts, and the R
NJ publican candidates for supren
OF Judges are elected as it was in II
he case Of Railroad Commissioners, be
r., ,,,:ll tho4 ,,o,,,a,,c tl,o n,.h.oot f.o