Year: 1867

TIE CONTENTION AND THE JUDICIdRH
| If we are TO believe the reports which are
brought from the Constitutional Convention by
members from this part of the State VINO
ought to be familiar with the views OF the
Committee OH the Judiciary, there is but little
hope for a thorough reform in our judicial
system. 1t is said that not only will the
elective system be retained, but also the pres
cnt mode of electing by districts and that, in
short, the only change that will be made Will
consist in lcngthening the term of office. That
this will be an entirely inadequate remedy for
the monstrous evils which exist in this city,
every sensible man must know, if he is at all
familiar with the facts. 1t may well be that
in the rural districts the only evils felt are
those which arise from the dependence OF
Judges upon local politicians for denomination.
But in this city we have got far beyond that.
We have here Judges who make such profit
out of their offices as to enable them to buy
up the politicians. We have Judges whose
patronage is so enormously profitable to their
immediate hangcrs-On, "a ID make little
ring" of their own, the power of which,
concentrated upon a single object, is sufi-
cient to overcome the scruples or dislike OF
the great &" ring" which, in general, rules all
the affairs of the city. 1t is very well un-
dcrstood, among those who are familiar with
such matters that Judges, and those OF the
most Objectionable kind, have been forced
upon the party managers here, much against
their will, by influences which were brought
TO bear exclusively upon this object. 1t Is
easy 10 say that, once elected, these Judges are
indepcndent of the men who nominated them.
As far as their salaries are concerned, that is
tr7le; but those are but n paltry consideration
with corrupt Judges. They need their go-be-
twccns, the bribery brokers, the referees and
receivers who will divide fees and keep secrets,
and other accompIices, who must be retained
in good bnmnr long as the judges in part
norship with them remain upon the bench.
The power of such men is not lessened by
giving the Judge an o1ice-tenure of twenty
years or for life


We have no desire TO gain any partisan adj
vantages by the reconstruction OF the Judi
ciary We are entirely satisfied that the
Judges of this City and Brooklyn should be
taken from the predominant party. But we
want the bench 10 be occupied by such men
as Messrs. 0'Conor, Bosworth, Lord, Bur
rill, and the like, who, whatever errors they
might commit in the decision of political ques-
tions, would he perfectly impartial in the pri-
vate controversies which constitute nnety-nlne
hundrcdths of the business coming before the
courts. Such men are driven from the bench
under the present system. Judge Bosworth
has already been expelled Judge DAILY was
warned long ago that he was in danger and
narrowly escaped hostile demonstration in
public Some of the new men are OF very
equivocal character, and if a general election of
Judges tool, place in this city to-day, it is likely
that the bench would be yet more degraded.


We again ask the Citizens Association why


it remains quiesccnt at this critical time. 1t
has, in languid way, asserted the necessity of
change; but it has not collected and published
the facts which would convince the mass of
honest citizens of that necessity. We are at


loss to comprehend this inaction on the part OF
the only organization to which the plundered
citizens of NewYork can look for counsel, or
to which the Convention is likely to listen
with respect. We are willing TO publish any
statements il has to make, to use any informa-
tion that il mayl furnish, and to aid 1t by all
means in our power.