The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-11-03
LET u-SCICE BE DONE.

We have recently given our views
on the election of judges soon to be
had by the General Assembly and as
the matter is of great importance to
the people we think it proper to eS-
tend those views by condemnlng a
practice that has recently come to our
notice.
The Office of circuit judge is not
only high and honorable one' but
It is one that should be filed with the
finest ability and the highest integ-
risy; no man should be selected to
occupy the bench on account OF fac
tional differences, nor should man
be placed upon the bench as a re-
ward for political service, and when
we see a man resorting to system
attic method of electioneering to pro-
cure such position, we must think
he does notappreciate the importance
and the dignity of such high trust.
The Office of judge is the worthy am
bition Of any lawyer, but his stand
ing in his profession and the esteem
of his brethren OF the Bar should be
such that his qualifications are known
by those who have selection to make.
To food the country with circular
letters begging for votes is beneath
the dignity of a nan who has the re-
quisite qualifications to sit in Judge
ment upon the rights and the prop
erty of his fellowman, and when we
saw the circular issued by Mr.. I. W..
Bacot, of Charleston, we could not
endorse the methods adopted by him.
The idea of an aspirant for Judge
ship getting down to the level OF the
politician is appalling. What has be-
come of the reverence for the Judicial
ermine? Has the judiciary been placed
in the category OF political Offices, to
be traded and manipulated by the
skillfal hands of scheming politicians?
II begins to look that way when men
have SO little regard for the scared
ness of the position as to go about
soliciting for votes.
We have never heard OF such a
method in this State before, and
there is no better way of stopping
It, than by placing the stamp OF dis
approyalupon it and instead ofselec-
ting a man for the bench who has
resorted to the oMce-seeker's tactics,
offer the ermine as reward !for high
character, learning and patriotism.
We could, if We had the selection
of such, place the judicial ermine up
on the shoulders Of a Mitchell, a
Barker, a Lord, of the Charleston
Bar, or if we had a personal prefer
enee, James F. 1zlar, of the Orange
burg Bar. The latter gentleman
would at once be approved of by the
people at large. He occupied the
bench one term with honor to him
self and his State and it was only in
the heat Of political excitement that
his removal came about. Judge Izlar
is universally beloved throughout
South Carolina and we believe he
was one of the best judges in the
State. He was ale. learned and al
ways courteous gentleman. In our
opinion the General Assembly could
not do better act than electing for
Judge of the first circuit General
James F. Izlar. His services to his
country in times of war and peace
should not be forgotten. Take his
record while in command at Fort
Fisher when that desperate fight was
made and it is enough to merit the
affections of the people. Then in the
trying times of 1876, when this State
was relieved Of that horde of op-
pressors, much of the responsibility
was upon the shoulders of Gen. Izlar
who was then our State chairman,
and to his magnificent management
can, in very large measure, he at
tributed the overthrow of the Repub-
Ican party and the restoration Of
home rule for South Carolina. If
Judge Benet is to be defeated upon
the ground that he was imported to
the first circuit, and that importation
was wrong, then right the wrong by
returning the ermine to member of
the Bar Of the first circuit and by re-
placing it upon the shoulders Of
Judge James F. Izlar from whom it
was taken without cause.
BUCKLEN'S ARNICA SALVE.