The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-02-22
LAURENS, S. c., Feb. ~, 1905.
The New Judges.
The Anderson Mail says:

The Anderson Mail says:
The news of the election of Hon.
George e. Prince to the judgeship of
the tenth judicial circuit was received
with the keenest pleasure in Anderson.
On every side expressions of satisfaction
were heard as soon as the news became
known.
"A groupof representative men were
discussing the election yesterday after
noon. There is one thing about it, said
the leading merchant. The Legislature
elected him on account of his personality
and well known ability and fitness and
not on account Of any effort of his own
to be elected. There never was q sor-
rier politician, assthat term is generally
understood, than George Prince. He is
a rather slow hand to make friends to
begin with, and in the second place he
is entirely lacking in policy. He can't
trim his sails to suit the wind, or the
crowd, but he will go right along do
ing and saying what he thinks is right,
and he doesn't care one whit whether
anybody approves of his course or
not"
In the spring of 1892, or about that
TINE, the writer heard Geo. E. Prince
deliver a forcible and eloquent speech
at a banquet given to the South Caro-
lima Press Association. His audience
was composed of partisans of both pol
itical factions. Mi. Prince expressed,
boldly and strongly, the views for hold
ing which such men as the late William
H. Wallace, who had been speaker of
the "WallaVe House" and a Confeder-
ate Brigadier General, was a few
months later banished from the Bench,
Notwithstanding his great ability and
exalted patriotism.
Mr.. Prince was in a minority in those
days but he had convictions and he was
not afraid.
Five or six years ago a friend who
lives in another State remarked to us
that certain young men, naming one
who was then a member of Congress,
had taken the wrong course for a sue
cessful career. He said that the agita-
ton which had forced men of the Geo.
Prince type to the rear would pass
away and that the young Congress-
mans political days were practically
ended. We did not believe it-much as
we desired it.
The young Congressman is now
about as dead a duck, politically, as
was eve dumped into a ditch. The
bitches around him are filled with pol
iftr;ooc 90 tln ,,, 1.;,l fo-, ~
who had individual worth and ability
who were followers and office-holders
under Capt. Tillman's leadership have
survived, but they are exceptions. The
people are calling to the front the
young men of 1890 and 1892 who re-
fused to accept the dictation of a boss.
d. e. Finley was elected Senator
from York county in 1890 as a Tillman-
lite. He declined to enter any fractional
caucuses in the General Assembly, voted
against the Dispensary Bill and in fact
was a rebel, voting as he choose, some
times with and more often against
Reform measures. Congressman
Strait was a Tillmanite of the strictest
sect. Finley after a few years beat
Strait for Congress. Two years later
he beat Mr.. Strait again, worse than
before. Mr.. Finley was elected again
last year.
The people get excited sometimes
but they cool down and in the end they
support men who have opinions of their
own.
We regret the defeat of Judge d. A..
Townsend, the man who happened to
be in the line of succession when Judge
Wallace was "~bounced." Judge Town
send made a good Judge. Although his
election was a mere accident of parti-
san excitement, although he ought not
to have been elected, he ought to have
been reelected. The people make a
grave Rmistake when they turn out a
Judge who is not a disgrace to the
bench. So we urged IL years ago So
we urge'now. If we had been in the
House we should have voted for Judge
Townsend against Messrs. Hydrick and
Sanders who were never "Reformers."
We are not saying so now for the first
time. Rotation in office is ruinous to
the independence of the Judiciary. So
long as they conduct themselves with
propriety we hope that every Judge
now in office will be retained and with
out opposition from anybody.
1t gives us pleasure to add testimony
to what the business men of Anderson
say of George e. Prince.
Mr.. Memminger, elected to the new
Charleston Circuit is aXlawyer of ster-
ling worth and fine ability.
The Farmers are Learning.
The Southern farmers in the aggre-