The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-07-31
The New a. institution.

u I1>tNe IN StfNthfiit. nj, as an IHti.a-
I.endsnt judiciary l. the firmest bulwalk
IT free-l0m.r
Nearly all free goysrnmenls have ar
ranged a system OF courts rising in dig
nifty and quality 81 that a citizen can al
peal from the lower b. the higher AMI
thus secure decision more conformed
to justice and the law and constitution
un'lsr which he lives. la this state and
by the provision Of the proposed new
constitution, the highest court is called
the supreme court. There is 10 he had
final determining of the proceedings in
the inferior courts and os the law of the
case. and whether the law is consistent
with the constitution. 10 is therefore of
infinite AMI vital Importance that the
justices Of such "A court should te in.la-
PENDENT III popular excitement and fire
from pre J,nilces. that they NAV deter
mine eassS without fear, favor or hone
II rewar'i.' Does this constitution offer
court of this kind; ltproI-~es to,Lave
the justices elected hy popular vote. To
this give approval. IL PROPOSES that
they shall b" elected for ak years, AMI
every two years their acts in sA,me mea.
sure are to he submitted Ia the popular
voice. A Justice may commence his ser.
vices at twenty years al age. AMI
might lea standing candidate for re-
election. Such u the hove NJ man for
popular favor that Justice Of our final
court Of award might shape his official
conduct To try AMI secure n reelection,
These Justices should IN elected. or.
dained AMI set apart for q definite sing
term 10 their offices. The present old
constitution makes his term II office
during good behavior, AMI some Of our
wissst states limit the term of Office 10 n
certain axe, at which age, ordinarily, the
mental and ply seal Iswers of man are
supposed to fail. The state Of Iowa
makes the term IL office of short iura.
ton, AMI during my residence in that
STATE popular ssntinn nj indticvd one set
IT Justices to decide that counties and
cities hal authority Ia issue bonds To AM
in the building If railroads. But when
the time came Ia levy tax for the nav.
nient ~ the interest On these bonds. and
Ia provide for re,l.eming the lDn.,s, pop.
ular sentiment underwent a decided
change. AMI IN due time n new vet of
Justices were elected who decided the
bonds were unconstitutional and the
people were not bound tn pay. True,
the opinion Of the last Justices was cor.
rect. hut m the bonds had largely hren
bought 10y innocent purchasers in other
states, the United States court inter.
vened AMI made them pay all such
bonds nv had been purchased by citizens
IT other states, while the ,icclsion Of the
supreme court Of Iowa WAS in force
which declared the bonds constitutional,
80 much for short term r. elective s,,.
preno court. Sub joct Ia every wind Of
popular feeling.
When ] WAS but u hoy, there was
in Kentucky during "a time Of great
financial iuln, "A revolution by which
for u time the supreme court
Of that state WAS superseded and
almost crushed out. | refer 10 the times
IT the old court and new court contest.
For two years both courts claimed To bc
the true interpreter Of the law. Guii.
ance was sought from the mother state
Of Virginia ! have seen and read the
LETTERS of Jefferson and Madison in an.
swer to inquiries on the subject in which
they maintained the supremacy Of the
old court, its stability and necessary in.
Dependence To this day the names of
Boyle. Owsley and Mills, the Justices of
the old court, ARE the hOnored names in
kcntuckys Judicial history. for they
stood firm at the helm and guided the
old ship amidst the breakers. The sober
second thought Of the people came to the
rescue, and law, justice and order were
again established. Such il the effect Of
court of last resort whose justices are
independent in office Of popular tumult.
Have We any assurance Of inlepen,lpucr
and impartality in "A court such M is pro.
posfd IN the new constitution offered for
our suffrage. think not. II the state
leans upon such u support it may break,
and she will be pierced through and
through. Give M AN elective Judiciary
II you please, but let the justices of the
supreme court bc chosen tn serve during
good IN havior or till such an aye when
naturally they might become incompe-
tent. Or give us our court ~ ii il now
constituted. The object Of state organ.
ization IL to maintain law and order. To
protect the right and rcprcss the wrong.
II IL essential to any good government
that the Judiciary department should he
80 constituted IN tn secure this end. In
this the new constitute n entirely fails M
shall cn,loavof tn point ont N future
articles. II IL neither black nor white
nor even good loking mulatto. | sup
pose il might bc classcd as "A nugwump.
If only knew what mugwun,p il. |
have seen Mt fourth Of July celebrations
u shriveled, small and old darkcy moving
around under large battered hell
crowned hat, clothed in an officers coat
of revolutionary days. The coat was
large and Tapping. reaching to the heels
and collar half way to the head, ornament.
ed with buttons of various sty les and M.
riods. Some wore bullet brass and some
wore flat gutta percha and some wore
silver impressed with heads Of dogs or
wild boar, perhaps taken from young mas.
ter's hunting coat. The cloth was origin.
ally and chiefly blue but patched h, re aud
there with green or yellow or black with
facings of bull or white within. Perhaps
he was n mugwump. lie did not belong
to any act or affiliate with others, but
moved around wrapped in the insignia of
his own independence and isolation.