Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-17


supreme Bench, Judge Temple has sat as
District Judge, and since the present
went into effect as Judge Of
he Superior Court of Sonoma coanty.
He is now serving his second term in that
position. During his term upon the Su.
preme Bench his opinions and decisions
were regarded as the fullest, most lucid
and impregnable expositions OF the law,
complete in every element of Justice.
As Superior Judge he has been specially
selected to try more cases of greater mag
involving the constitutionality
of legislative acts, of the rights and pow.
ers and privileges of corporations, and
the rights Of property and of individuals,
than have ever been brought before any
other Court in California--rarely before
any Court in the whole broad land--and
in these vastly important cases he was
chosen and agreed upon as the trial
Judge by the parties to the litigation IN
each, on account of the implicit faith
they had in his mastery ability as we'll
as his absolutely incorruptible integrity
and impartiality.
1t was before Judge Temple that the
great and very important debris case was
tried and by him decided, and his decis-
ion was SO clear and manifestly just, so
invincibly fortified by the law at every
point, and so distinctively impartial, that
the parties who lost by it and the people
most affected by it in their pockets and
industry, could find no fault with the
Judge and did not deny the soundness
and Justice Of his decision.
Similarlyin the noted case of the widow
of General Cotton against the great rail
road corpora ion, which was alse tried
before Judge Temple, the defeated party
was as ready to acquiesce in the business
of the decision as was the party who
won.
In criminal law, the case of the People
vs.. Kalloch may likewise be cited to
show in what estimation Judge Temple
is held by the Courts and by the people.
He was specially called to try that very
exciting case, and the citizens OF San
Francisco do not need to have repeated
to them the encomiums which were at
that time bestowed by the entire com.
munity upon Judge Temple for the very
able and dignitied and impartial manner
with which he presided.
The people have not forgotten the great
services of Judge Temple upon the bench,
in the vindication of the rights of all,
without respect to class or condition.
With the Bar of the State he has no rival.
In his own community he is revered.
His election is as certain as that the day
of election will come. 1t may be that,
az Aristides was hated in his own Athens,
solely because he was famous as "The
JUST" for like cause Judge Temple
may have incurred the enmity and op-
position of q few in his own community;
but the votes he will thus lose will be
made up hundred fold by Republicans
in California who will vote for him be-
cause he is the best man for the place.
Examiner.
CONTROLLER DUNN.
The Controller is themost important Of
flee, in financial sense, of the State Gov.
ernment. He is the guardian of the State
Treasury and nobody can obtain admis.
sion there without his signature. 1t IS
true the Treasurer is the custodian of the
peoples money, but he cannot pay out q
dollar until the Controller has certified
to the correctness of the claim. In adj
dition to auditing all claims against the
State, it is also the Controllers duty to
scan closely the accounts of all the other
State officers aud to compel rigid COM
pliance with the law in paying over fees
collected. He must also examine the
officers books and see that they are kept
in accordance with law and not tamper-
ed with to conceal frauds and cover up
embezzlements or improper returns.
The qualifications of good Controller
are that he shou d be man of courage,
ability and unfinching integrity, aud be
at the same time thorough bookkeeper
and expert accountant These requisites
are not always easy of attainment in
public officer, and when a Controller is
found who possesses all the desirable
qualities in an eminent degree it is the
part of wisdom and good public policy to
keep him in Office. We have such Con.
troler now in John P. Dunn. He has
been tried and found wanting in no par.
ticular. A finished accountant, he is
thoroughly conversant with every phase
of bookkeeping, and no irregulariiy can
escape his tireless, sharp-sighted exami-
nation. Nothing in the shape of personal
friendship or party expediency will in.
duce him to close his eyes to any viola.
tion of the law. His course shows that
he is as prompt to expose malfeasance
and irregularities in Democrat as Re.
publican. That is the kind of a man to
be Controller-a man who will do his
duty without fear or faver.
Had man like Dunn been in the Con.
troller's Office during the Booth and Pa
n tho aprhov1l n
ment of fees in the Secretary of States
Office, then filled by Drury Melone,
would not have gone on unchallenged
and the numberless extravagances of that
administration would have been checked
so as to save many thousands Of dollars
to the State. Indeed, the peculations in
Melone's Office were only exposed and
made plain through Mr.. Dunns palms.
taking and inquiring industry. Through
him the State still has chance OF recov-
ering some of the money of which it was
plundered.
II John P. Dunn had been Controller
duripg the Perkins Administration the
enormous peculations of Dan Burns and
Thomas II. Reynolds in the Secretary of
States office would have been nipped in
the bud, to both the profit and credit of
the State. The exposure OF the stealings
in this Office is entirely due to his efforts.
In the case of John w. Mccarthy, ex.
Clerk Of the Supreme Court, Mr.. Dunn
was prompt to point out violation OF
the law, notwithstanding the fact that he
and Mccarthy belonged to the same po.
litical party and were elected on the
same ticket. In a number OF other in.
stances Mr.. Dunn has demonstrated his
answering integrity. utter fearlessness
as an officer and supereminent fitness by
refusing to audit claims that he consid.
cred improper. The Courts have mainly
vindicated his actions, and the result has
been a considerable saving to the State.
Mr.. Dunn has again been nominated
for State Controller by the Democracy,
aud there should be no question about
his election. The people of this State