Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1890-01-16

o. s.rAuesS. gloom. uuCeEtslutO
aud anxiety which / sgppOse nj
otter one Judge has been called
upon to pass through. unaided
except by the Kindness sud
support CT the members of the
bar. which l. the darkest DAY
never failed me.
How much I may have de
served the Kindness and sup
port thus received Is question
which You and they must deter
mine That | have committed
many mistakes must be admit
ted; all | ,;an claim is that they
were errISs of the head and not
of the heart
During the dark days men
toned some radical changes
were made II our judicial sys
TEN, notably the mode of select
ing our judges aud cbaucelIOEs,
and the blending in one our
probate and equity systems
The main objection made TO
these changes is not so much
that they are Objectionable 10
themselves, as that they were
made by class of men different
from those before aud noW ia
control of our public affairs
Whilst IL is true that these
changes were adopted by those
to- whom objection is made. ba;
who as | believe were entitled
10 credit tor their adoption. 1t IS
not true that they originated
them If ahy Que is TO blame
for originating them, the blame
lies at ms own door; and was
the result of my experience and
observation fer many years as a
practieing lawyer, aud Judge In
both Tennessee AID this state
| prepared the Article OF our
present Constitution creating
our Judiciary system before the
convention met and submitted
1t to some of or ablsst lawyers.
who approved IL, and aided 10
Its adoption; most Of whom have
passed TO the beyond, but il any
of them changed their opinion
as TO its wisdom, l never knew
it, and | know ofnOne who then
approved il, how desire il
changed To Gen. Geo. Mckee
Is mainly due the credit of its
adoption. he was chairman of
the judiciary committee of the
Convention, aud the most iuti1-
entail member of the body, who
with his influence in the con
ventiOn aud the outside ait Of
those who approved If and were
not members il was adopted.
L am satisfied from twenty
years observation that uO state
has a better Judicial system than
ours, aud especially 50 when our
peeuliaT condition then and now
is considered This the opin
lou of eminent judges aad law
yers IN other states who are ia
nIIiar with our system. aud even
u all this we're not so, il would
be unwise to change any Judi
cia- system that has given rea
sOuaole satisfaction to the bal
and people for twenty years
which ours has doEe. II /.
truthfully said, that experience
Is a much safer test than mere
theory and speculation, those
who operate any machinery oil
system, understand better il.
defects, than any one else. ant
1t Is by this test that | found.
have oecupIe Judicial position.
under every mode in which they
are conferred, | have been elect
eel by the people; have beer
elected by the legislature. ant
have been nominated by the ex
eeutIve aud confirmed by tn,
Senate. and know from that ex
perience. that the latter mode
places the judge in "a position Il
enable him without embaraSs
meat To deal out even handed
Justice more than when cOnfeFr
ed IN either of the other modes
Ia giving this testimony, humble
as 1t may be, | claim TO be a dis
Interested witness, as | ne e.
expect to be an applicant TO-
any Office, Judicial or otherwise
There may have been Iaistakel
made in the selection of a few
of euI judges, this is inevitauI,
under any system, bUt | beIlev,
they have been fewer uLder Out
system than any other
| bear willing testimony tina
oar judges, under our presen
system. have compared, aud wi.
compare favOrabIy With thOse
elected by the people either he
fore the change was made. al
though they were elected undsl
much more favorable circum
stances than those now existing
or are likely soon to exist. 81
much On this change in cur il
dieial system.
Ay experience and oOserya
tiOh In regard to the othel
change mentioned that of blend
Ing In one, Onr probate ant
equity Jurisdictions, has in mn
opInIoa been equally successful
Any one who will take the pain,
To examine our reports, viii 6ut
that comparatively few appeal.