Year: 1869

| The San Francisco Alta of recent date has
the following well-digested article on the ju-
dicial election, which We recommend to the con.
sideration of every voter:


1t is the dnty of every good citizen to ascer-
tain the qualifications and character of the judi
cial nominees, and on the goth day of October
take the time to deposit her ballot for those
who, in his opinion, will best discharge the du-
ties of the judicial position. The first and high.
est qualification of a person for the bench is to
be gentleman. Let the judge be courteous and
polite; let him accord to suitor, juror and law
| yer proper respect let him forbear to be ipso-
| lent, tyrannical and overbearing let him be
just, dignifed and patient, and he has the ma
terial for making himself a most excellent
judge.


No lawyer should aspire to the bench Who has
not been educated to the profession-who has
not toiled at the rudiments and become we'll
grounded in the elementary principles of the
law. The brilliant and even successful advo-
cate does not always make good judge sue
cessful practitioner and good lawyer does not al
ways make good judge.


A Judge should be industrious, mentally and
physically he should have work in him. After
legal ability comes patient industry; patience to
hear evidence, authority and argument, and in
dqstry to review, examine and investigate the
books. A politician should never 60 upon the
bench an active, ambitious, money making
business man should never be elected Judge.


Party feeling should not determine ones vote
for judge further than this-all things being
equal between two candidates party may give
his vote to his party friend If it is right to dis
card party feeling in selecting judges, it is also
right that nationality and religious bias should
have no weight. 1t can make no difference
where man is born, if he is good lawyer an
honest man, and an industrious worker, and is
an American in feeling sentiment and sympa-
thy.


His religious views SHOULD not be asked, and
all that the community has a right to know is
that he is not infdel and atheistic, and that he
is not bgoted


character, and of good SOCIAL position he
should have the confidence of the community
and the respect of the bar. If bis integrity is a
matter of suspicion, his usefulness is much i'm
paired; if he is inferior in law learning to those
who practice before him, he cannot maintain the
respect dpe to his position.
| We do not admire the popular Judge, who
seeks to advance himself in public favor by the
exercise of any o. the arts of the demapogue
We remember one of our late city judges who
WIS almost hermit in his habits, reserved. re.
ticent and unsocial, yet he had the respect and
confidence of everybody. We are willing that
the judge should exact to the last point the re-
spect due to his position, and the more dignity
he can throw around his Office the better. For
judge, learned in his profession, whose integ-
rity and honor are above reproach, whose pri
vate reputation is unquestioned, and whose in
dustrious habits are recognized, we have the
most profound respect.


1t will be our privilege before election to call
attention to ths.aames of several gentlemen,
who, In our opinton, possess all the oualiica
| tions for the Offices they seek.