The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-01-18
FROM
Mr.. ROGERS
he is Opposed to the Appoint.
meni Of Magistrates by Circuit
JUDGES.
he Thinks The People Should Elect all Officers
From President Down.
Edgehill, Va, Jan. 18th. 1906.
To The Free Lance.

ana lfttDOOtrTS tlldn tildt UldDle STATES
men. BY various political devices, thi,
constitution 30 cuts oil and hedges IN
the right To vote that the people OF Nir.
/ gnia have already passed from under a
government by the people 10 n govern
ment 10y what may be called an Office
holding aristOcracy. The Free Lance ~.
SAYS to Out-I -Ilerod lIerOd in this wretched
effort to Russianize the people OF Nir.
ginia 10y the further political piracy Oi
stripping them OF the time honored right
to elect their magistrates The Free
| Lance. in its wild and weird advocacy
inr the appointment Of these officers 10y
the Circuit Courts, does not tell us Just
how il would accomplish this further
despOliatiOn uf the temple OF liberty.
And 80 We must infer that il would fol
low the illustrious precedent OF a revOlu-
tiOnary convention, and have il done hy
ukase, as they call IL in Russia, OF by
proclamation, AZ il is called in Virginia.
| Then how long before the people of old
/ Virginia, ike the people of down trodden
| Russia. will be calling for Zemsky
Sober, III that il the word, aud go ont
on strike for a restoration OF their liber.
/ ties.
Some time in the near future the great
proetariat Of old Virginia will be
aroused from this lethargic slumber OF
Indifference into which il has been be-
trayed hy treacherous politicians aud a
subservient press. \ great pebiscitun
of the people not to be- disturbed or de-
TERED by the artiul cry Of Negro su-
ppmacy,' Negro domination, will as
semble, and recEOn with these pertidious
proclamationists. Mahone has been in
spite of the cry. Wolf Vol, Niger
Niger But TO return To our sheep.
Admitting what The Free Lance seem,
really to believe that these circuit iudge'
without exception land for all time) ar,
Solons of wisdom, as iniallible a. tn,
Pope, non-partisan in politics, and absO
lutely blind and unerring in the dispense
tion OF the high office they hold, how
could these rare qualifications, so rarely
found even in the circuit judges, bettel
ht them to select the officers than Tn,
people, whose servants they are sup
posed to be- When it * remembered
that these judges, whose jurisdiction EN-
brace five or slX counties, for sheer want
of acquaintance would Oitener than
otherwise b. at sea, without chart Ol
compass. az 20 their selection, anC
would have To depend wholly upOr
somebody's recommendation in the So
lection of these officers That some
body OF course, because always in eyi
dence. always in attendance at the politi
cal pie counter, would be the boss OF tn,
courthouse ring, the chairman OF The
regnant political party III you prefer it)
And thus tacitly at least the Judge would
he using his high office, not in the selec
ton of the most capable, the iittest anC
the best, but in the dispensing OF po
litical favOrs, or the spOils Of politics.
Does The Free Lance really believe in
thus corrupting and degrading the ludci
airy of this grand old State by making II
the tool of the political demagogue, the
bureau through which political prefer
ment must be obtained? The Free Lane,
is an innocent abroad il it does not
know that a nOn-partisan Judge is as
great a rara avis, IA non-partlsar
President. And this rare bird lcOuld h,
be iound) engaged in the business o
making non-partisan appointments
would only hold his job, until a partisan
legislature got another whack 1T him.
While aware that every man has hi'
politics, it would greatly diminish oul
respect for the courts to develop IN I'M
political appointments the politlca
Judge. Surely The Free Lance has Tor
gotten the distinguished (supposed) now
partisan jurist, who presided over the
eight by seven committee in the Tilden
HAYES contest, who with the magic
words, "Aliundie' in one set OF cases
"Alicundie" in another, reversed the vii
of the people and the defeated candidate
was made president. Seemingly for thu
good OF his political party only, another
eminent Judge, in the "lncome Tax De
cision." reversed himself Then there il
the graft, the nepotism and iavoritlsm
that inheres a. a natural outgrowth tt
this power, to appoint, which would in
eyitably trail the ermine OF the bencl
into the filth OF politics, making our ju
dietary a byword and a reproach.
An eminent iurist, in a nelghborlne
State, but recently appointed 10 a Fed
eral judgesbip, is already said to have
provided for no less than fifty ofhis near
est kith and kin through his power t.
appoint. Thus we see that kisses go by
favor. no matter who does the kissing
; sit is human TO err" can rs wisely, wei
and truly be said OF judges as OF the res
Of US. The greatest calamity, the sores
aaliction, a whip Of scorpions indeed
} would be a corrupt and venal judiciary
Nav God save us from such fate. An'
know of no one thing more corruptinl
in its tendency than this power to ap
point. nor can believe that any Judge
2 whose probity is unquestiOnable, woul'
accept the position with this witherini
curse as a part of its functions. Bu
! why does The Free Lance want to ge
: so lar. far away from the people? Doe
. The Lance believe that "A government
: by the people, for the people and OF th
( people" has become a dismal failure Il
} spite OF the drastic purging given it b.
the reyolutionists in the convention
, that The Free Lance would thus wit
fell hand and purpose tear ava.
t every last vestige OF it and q
5 tablish upon it's ruins a miserabl
bureaucracy of political appointments
And why stop short at the maglstrate'
when by broadening the scope oi it's SUI
!, lime and beautiful faith in appointment
! by Judges, it might easily and with a
! good reason, take in everybody iror
constable to governor.
" But enough of banter. "Back 10 th
! people" is the slogan of every patriot
heart. And every officer from cOnstab
: 10 president should be elected by the pee
: Die. This and this only is governmer
: by the people, for the people and OF Il
< people.