Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-08-05
Geo. B. CIementsOn to the Voters.

1t has been and is my purpose tt
submit my candidacy for the nomina
tion for the Office of District Attorney
upon the Republican ticket to tht
voters of the county, upon their judg
ment as to my competency to dis
charge the duties of the Office, without
any attempt to bel1ttle the other two
gentlemen who are candidates for this
Office or to excite prejudice against
them. had no thought of address
ing the voters publicly upon the ques-
tion of this nomination, except to an
nounce through the papers that / am a
candidate but now feel that one
matter should make a public state
ment.
For some weeks past I have been
aware that persistent effort is being
made to influence voters against me
on the fallacious ground that as my
father is the circuit judge, the voters
of Grant County ought not to bestow
another Office upon amembel of the
family. This argument convenient
| ly ignores the fact that the Office of
circuit judge is a state not county
Office, and that the salary is paid out
Iof the state not the county treasury.
Judge Clementson has not received
from the treasury of Grant County a
dollar of salary since he ceased to be
District Attorney In 1872. The argu
ment also ignores the fact that Grant
County is but one Of the five counties
of the circuit, and that, so far as
holding the Office of circuit judge is
concerned, Judge Clementson might
as we'll be resident of any one of the
other four counties of the circuit.
If he were resident of Richland
County (which is in his circuit, and
I a resident Of Lancaster as | am,
would it not be apparent to every one
that the fact that he is circuit judge
would be no reason why should not
be candidate in Grant? He was
originally nominated for circuit
Judge. not by convention held in
Grant County, but by Republican
delegate convention of the five coun-
ties, held at Dodgeyille in 1882. The
nomination was unanimous and was
unsolicited by him. Since then he
has been maintained in Office by the
voters of the entire circuit, not by
the snffrages of any one county. AT
the last judicial election, 1.-THE only
on eat which there was contest since
Judge Clementson went on the bench)
his majority In the circuit was 4011.
His majority in Grant County was
1871 SO that the other four counties
of the circuit gave him a majority of
234O. T. give these figures to en-
phasize the statement that the Office
of circuit Judge is not Grant County
Office in any sense. and that the fact
that my father occupies this position
is no reason why 1 should not aspire
the Office of District Attorney.
Judge Clementson was not elected
to the Office of circuit judge because
he was my father, and | should not
be opposed in this contest for no better
reason than that I am his son.
Neither has he as judge committed
any iniquity that should be visited
upon me. I am distinct and
separate individual, and must stand
or fall on my own merits or de-
merits. I come before the people
with a length of practice at the
bar as long as father had when he was
elected to the bench, and believing
that I can fill the Office of District At
torney dcceptably. Obviously it can
not reasonably be claimed that if |
should be nominated and elected the
duties of the office would be less eff
GENTLY discharged because my father
is the judge. may say also, that
I come before the people with a record
of longer service at the bar than
either of my opponents, (nearly three
times as long as my Lancaster OPP
ponent,) and having never held or
sought Office, while my Cuba City OPP
ponent has held office several times.
Respectfully,
Geo. B.. Clementson.