The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1904-04-08


voters OF Georgia as substantial rea.
sons, Ia like unto man heedlessly
throwing away his wheat and jealous.
" preserving the chan.
When the people of Georgia revoked
the agency they had conferred upon
the legislature to select the Supreme
Court, and resumed their sovereign
power in the premises, they declared
responsibility of every member of that
court to their will that there was
no precedence and that no greater de.
gree of respect attached to that Court,
as servants Of the people. than that
which might be due, (and which would
ever be accorded) to the incumbent
In proportion to his deserts. Every
judge should be independent, but there
is no independence so absolutely bold
and fearless as the consciousness that
every duty, personal and official, has
been performed for the best inter.
est of the people without any fear,
save fear of God.
| do not know with what grace one
who does not believe in the Constitu-
ton, or in any special part of it, can
swear to support and uphold it. The
Constitution now distinctly says that
is above the hopes and honorable as.
pirations of even our hum5lest youth
AS to precedent; the President Of
this union has thought it proper to
place as Chief Justice Of the Supreme
Court of the United States young men
fresh from the people, who had never
served a day as associate justices.
Georgia has har at least the first Chief
Justice Lumplin, Chief Justice Brown
and Chief Justice Bleckley, who were
appointed from private life; and while
l am aware that l am not worthy to
be compared to these great men, yet
these bits Of history completely an
swer the argument that my election
would be unprecedented.
1t is one of the unwritten principles
of Democracy that there shall be no
life tenure Of office, that more than
one (of the Democratic family in q
life time may hope to serve the State
in even the highest positions. This
principle is recognized in the consti.
tutional provision which restricts q
Governor to two terms, and in the UNI
written law which has made it I'M
possible for any man to serve more
than eight years as President.
It was endorsed by the voluntary
retireneat of Chief Justices Warner
and BlecEley, as we'll as a number o.
our associate justices.
After eighteen years Of practice as
a lawyer, followed by nearly six years
upon the bench, offer to your SER
vice the best years of my llfe-the
prime and vigor of my manhood, men.
tai and physical | am not unaware
Of the lofty duties deyolVing upon
the incumbent Of this office. | am
not in the slightest degree inconsid.
crate of it's weighty responsibilities. J
esteem it the highest office within the
gift Of the people of Georgia. But
/ am thankful that l have the right
to ask, and that the Constitution 0!
the state confers upon the people the
power to give it; and I am embold.
ened (not only by a modest pride in
my record in the past but by unso
licited testimonials from some Of the
most distinguished men in the State,
who, for various reasons, are now
properly supporting my venerable op
pouent), to believe that | have the
quality and capacity to discharge the
high trust 1 seek, not only with lasting
honor to myself, but to the best inter
est of the people of Georgia.
To those Of my critics, who have