Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-05-01
This Years Elections.
Nashville Union.


year in Tennessee, including execu-
tive, judicial, and all county offices,
might well be used as text for an
article on our form of government.
How is the average citizen looking at
it? Is he concerned only about giving
some friend an Office or helping him
to get one as a means Of support? Or
is he looking at it from the standpoint
of a citizen who is called upon, under
the constitution and the laws of the
state, to go to the ballot-boX and
execute a sacred trust? Had we not
better stop for a few minutes at least
and ask ourselves, each, if in the APP
preaching elections we are going to
take care of the country to the best
of our ability by the ballot we will
cast? This is the plain duty Of every
citizen. Every citizen who enjoys
the blessing Of our free government
and is protected in his person and
property by law is under an implied
promise to cast his vote alone for the
good Of the community at large. He
owes it to himself and to the state to
inform himself and then vote accord
ing to his best judgement, looking to
honesty and qualification.
We regard the election of our
judges of our supreme court as the
most important by far of all our cleo
tons. \ = \ The high office of
judge of the supreme court was not
created for the benefit ofthe men who
might be fortunate enough to hold it,
but it was created alone as a means
of speedily reaching and administer
ing justice between people who might
become involved in litigation.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the
two parties in Tennessee have, by
their course, made it necessary that
candidates shall be nominated as
democratic and republican candi-
dates. We are not responsible for,
this, but we accept it and shall use
our best endeavors to elect the demo-
cratic ticket. The republicans will,
no doubt, put some democrats on
their ticket, but it will be none the
less party ticket.
The thing for the democrats to do
is to nominate men whose characters
and capacities will inspire confidence
and secure the hearty and cordial
support of the entire party; in fact,
of all the men in the state who are
not republican partisans.
How are we to determine when we
meet in convention who ought to be
nominated? We answer, by the
merits of the candidates beforehand.
Perhaps the election ofjudges by PEG.
pie is a mistake. But when this sys.
tenn was adopted by putting it in the
constitution, it became the duty OF
the citizen to gather information as
to the qualifications of the candidates
This can only be done by an inter.
change of views and by courteous
andrespectful criticism. Every intel
ligent lawyer in the state is more OF
less concerned about the election o
this court. Generally they are deep
ly interested and most of them eX
press their anxiety; but, as a rule
silence with them as to the qualifica
tons of the candidates is regarded a
practical wisdom. This is to be re
GREETED, for the people at large mus
depend in great measure on thu
lawyers for information as to thu
qualifications of the candidates. /
is said we have many lawyers whC
decline to speak or take any part, a!
means of being on good terms will
whoever may go on the bench. Ont
gentleman thinks he would suffer a
the hands Of the court in the practic,
if he should be outspoken and thel
defeated; in fact, nothing is NOR
common than to find gentlemen
weighing the chances of friendship o
enmity, favor or disfavor, with tn
bench which may be elected.
This is the very depths of humilia
ton. 1t is degrading to the profes
sion and carries with it an implication
of total and degrading unfitness on tn
part Of the candidates.
1t is an injustice to the old bencl
and to the new candidates. If ther
is any man a candidate for this higl
office whose decisions would in tn
least be influenced by such consid
, eratiOn-such 4 man running for tn
pOsition-then we are humiliated-
= Inundated by having such a cand
: date.