Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-03-27
JUDGE STRUTHER DECLINES TO BE
CANDIDATE FOR OON-
GRESS.
From the Saline County Democrat.

FROM tne Same county Democrat.
AS man of fine moral character ,un-
impeached reputation and high public
position, attained by the quiet force of
his indOmitable industry in mastering
his profession, and his mental resources
in graphing with the question of gov.
ernment, Judge john p StrOther has
been naturally turned to by his friends
as suitable candidate for congress in
this district at the ensuing election. So
great was the presumption that a man
who had ably represented the three
powerful and wealthy counties of Sa-
line, Lafayette and Pettis in the state
senate, and who has for several wears
administered the law from the bench In
these counties, and still wears the
ermine with success and honor, should
be called into the wider but not higher
field of public service to be found III
congress-that the rumor ran through
many of the papers in Central Missouri
that Judge Strother was already a can.
didate.
Whether or not Judge Strother
would consent to run, has been quite
an absorbing question to politicians,
and especially TO the judges democrat
ic friends, who were waiting to take
up the slogan for him as soon as his
consent should'be obtained. Mindful
of his success as q state senator and a
circuit judge, they were proud of the
opportunity to support q man not only
so honest and clean handed, but SO
clear headed and indefatigable in the
performance of his public duties, aud
they hoped to hear that he would soon
be before the people as candidate for
congress in the sixth district.
knowing that, with his characteris-
tic modesty and just sense OF propriety,
Judge Strother would not signify his
intentions in the premises until the
fullness of time should have made it
appropriate and proper to do SO, the
chief proprietor of this paper, an old
and intimate friend of the judge, after
consultation with other friends, ap.
preached him to learn if he would UNI
dertake to carry the banner of Saline i'm
this contest, assuring him that if he did,
he should have their hearty support aud
such backing as only Saline county
demOcrats-tired with the knowledge
that they had a candidate who would
challenge the respect and confidence of
the district-could give.
In answer to this friendly and earnest
appeal, Judge Strother, while showing
the keenest appreciation of the honor
that his follow democrats were willing
and anxious to place upon his brow,
aud while anxious to serve them, in
bearing Saline standard in the long
and arduous tolls of what all can fore
see will be hotly contested canvass,
still felt the responsibilities of the err
mine of this judicial district too strong
ly to take the field while his duties as
a judge chained most of his thoughts
and time to the bench. With his usual
foresight and calm unbiased view of
the situation, he declared that he would
not take up the standard of Saline
without pledging himself to the utter
most effort to carry that standard to
the heights of victory. In other words
that II he went into the canvass for the
purpose of securing representation
in congress from Saline. it. was due to
his kind friends and fellow democrats
who had chosen him for their champion.
to leave no stone unturned that would
ensure their success. He said that he
would feel it his duty to stump the dis
trlct from one end to the other, and to
advance his cause and that of Saline i'm
every township in the district. He then
went on to show that with such dis
trict, more than hundred of miles in
extent, and ll ing as it did in probably
the most inaccessible manner for being
travelled of any district in the state that
it would be impossible for him to full
I'LL his duties upon the bench, and make
such canvass as would be due TO his
friends and himself. He said also, that
he was not rich man, and that the
expense of such canvass would be
such as to be deeply felt by one who
needed all he could earn for the sup
port of his family.
The judge said further, however, that
II any occasion should arise in which it
should be thought best by his friends
to present his name, he was willing to
serve them, but that he is not a caHdi-
date, and for the reason that he cannot
the duties and responsible
ties of candidate-those which he
would feel himself bound i'm honor and
by inclination to undertake if he allow
ed himself to be considered a candi-
date and to be pnt forward as such by
the democrats of Saline county.