The Russellville Democrat., 1890-07-10
A Card in the Interest of Jus
 tice.

A CaFO Tn the lHbeFeeb OA JUN
 tice.
 TN the .drEansian, $ weekly news l paper published at CIarksville, in it's issue Of July 5Gh, 1890, ap- pears an article entitled: The Ju- dicial Race" urging the renomina- ton Of Judge Cravens, on the ground that he has held the office but q short time, and that, according to party usage and precedent, he is en- titled to second nomination, all things being equal.
 This article IS marked in blue pen cii and sent out to all quarters over the two counties which are to hold their primaries on the 18th inst, ev- idently to influence votes for Judge Cravens, not from the standpoint of merit, but from the force of party usage and practice.
 We did not intend to become in any way involved in the spirited canvass now being made for the nomination for the office of circuit judge in this district, but we, as delegates from Pope county to the last judicial convention--and which convention nominated Judga Gsa vens--in justice ..sss ...ss other candi. dates now running, feel that sad ar ticle by the .4rIconsin5s, necessitates a statement by us of the circum- stances under which the nomination of Judge Cravens was made.
 Judge Cravens, Mr. M,.cse and MT. Wallace were candidates for the of. flee of circuit judge, made vacant by the resignation of Judge Cunning ham. The notice of election was short, affordlng candidates no time to make a canvass and no canvass was made by either Judge Cravens or Mir. Wallace.
 The Yell county primaries became involved in muddle between Judge Cravens and Mir. Moose, the partizans of each claiming the county, and the consequence was, she sent to the convention two sets of delegates. It was impossible for the convention with the evidence before it 10 deter mine which of these candidates had carried the county, consequently the judicial convention seated two dele gates from each of said contending factions.
 The judicial convention came to q dead lock, which was broken on the l456th ballot by Pope county voting for Judge Cravens.
 The term which he was nominated to fill was short. He had held sev- eral posts Of honor and distinction, and while there was no understand ing between Judge Cravens or his delegates and the delegation from Pope county, yet his claims having been so vigorously contested, Pope county was actuated to vote for him, believing that recurrence of that contest would not likely be sought by him, and that he would retire at the expiration of the term he was chosen to fill,and leave the field open to competition, or at least that he could not and would not claim any right to renomination by force of precedent or party usage, for at best, any nomination that might have been made at that time would have but very partially reflected the voice of the party.
 At the time we yielded to the re. quest of Mr. Wallace to withdraw his name, the convention had been at a deadlock for three days, and there were only three days interven ing till the special election, and du- ty to party and our country required that the convention should come to some understanding and make nomination. Mir. Wallace not want. ing to embarrass the party or hazard It's success, urged us in the interest ot the party to drop hlm and make a nomination, no disposition to yield being manifested by the friends of the other two candidates, and at his urgent request and solicitation, his name was withdrawn, with the ex. press understanding that he would be candidate at this election. We certainly did not mean to hamper him in this canvass by withdrawing his name from before the convention, and had we known that partizans of Judge Cravens would have attempt. ed to construe our action in with drawing Mir. Wallace and voting for him into material to advance his in terest in this canvass, we certainly would not have furnished the mate rial.
 We have made thls statement in the interest of justice. All that we desire is, that each of the distin- guished candidates now before the party for the office of Circuit Judge may stand or fall upon his merits, and that forced constructions and theories may have no influence with the voters in making ,hoice between them.
 Very respectfully,
 w. P. WooTEs,
 E. l. MgCRAcKEN,
 w. H. HILL.
 July 7th, 1890.