Year: 1879

q Judge who, for sixteen years, has oom-
| manded the confidence and respect OF every
person in the community except WILBUR r.
STOREY.


1.-THE YOUNG MAN IN P0LIT1cs."
Much has been said and written OF late
years concerning tho benign influence which
the .youne man" and tho "scholar" arc
destined to exert over the party politics Of
this country when the estimable representa-
tives Of these types shall consent to take act~
iye part in the campaigns. There have boen
the most beautiful theories and the most
confident predictions as to the mission OF the
aforesaid syoung mnn" and "scholar. II
has been hoped and believed that the young
man.. would bring to party politics that
earnestness and trustfulness which the oId
party hacks lose after few years experience
with primaries, caucuses, and conventions;
at the same time it has been felt by the san~
cuine reformers that the "scholar" would
temper the exaggeration OF campaign utter
ances, and introduce fair and impartial,
calm and literal, placid and benefcent,
style Of writing and speaking,-ln fact,
"a particularly gentleman]y tone imp1ant. :"
Alas, how the fondest hopes are shat
tered! How cruelty the actual presence OF
the styoung man and likewise the "scholar"
in politics dissipates the fervid predictions
of his peculiar personal influence for good
We have in this city sad example of this
new disappointment in the uphill work OF
political reform. The pending election OF
Judges has furnished Chairman for the
Democratic Campaign Committee who is as
good sample of the syoung man and the
scholar in politics " Is the country is likely
to have at any time or place. This young
gentleman has distanced some Of the older
workers in the party, in spite of his youth,
and his active part in the present campaign
is fully justified by the fact that, as lawyer,
be should concern himself as to the election
of Judges. He is man Of education and
ability, and has himself been among the
most hopeful as to the salutary results to be
expected from the active associa-
ton Of young men and scholars
with party politics. Yet this particular
"young man "aud "scholar no sooner be-
comes Chairman of Campaign Committee
than he falls naturally into the can't and
extravaganza Of expression 80 common in the
ward-meeting, the party handbill, the CAM
paign organ, and the stump-speech. In
private circular, issued and signed by our
hopeful "young man and not less hopeful
"scholar in politics." OCCURS the following
language:


1.-THE defeat of Judge McA111srER and his col
1engues on the ticket would be nothing short OF
public calamity. It is therefore not alone in the
interest OF the Democratic party, but in the inter-
est OF public welfare that VIC ask you to aid Us IN
this campa,gn. Every citizen in favor Of righteous
and fearless Judiciary to guard the lives, the
property, and above all, the liberty, Of the Amer
can people will be with us at heart.''


The gentleman who wrote the above para
graph in his official capacity would in his
unofficial good sense admit it to be mere
fustiau,-at once stupid and unreasonable.
During the past twenty years Cook County
has had an bipartisan Judiciary, aud during
that period the fairness, conservatism, and
integrity Of our Courts have been universally
acknowledged. Isn't it simply absurd, then,
to come forward at this late day and tell the
Chicago people that it will be "publio





dates for the Circuit Bench ba defeated? As
Judge MoA111srER is the only one singled
out by name in the circular letter referred
to, it would seem to be tho desire of the
writer to impress upon the recipient Of his
circular letter that it would be a. "public
calamity" if the election should result in
the dafeat Of Judge whose personal SYM
pathies and habits Of thought have
betrayed his Judicial actions into siding
with the criminal and vicious classes
in all cases that have come before him Of
late years. All this would be ridiculous
enough; but the young and learned Demo-
crat in charge Of the campaign was not sat-
isfed, and proceeded in his pronunciamento
to intimate that " the lives, the property,
and, above all, the liberty, Of the American
people Twill be placed in jeopardy unless
the Democrats rally and elect .'Judge Nc
A111sTBR and his colleagues ON q party
ticket and as party Judges. This is going
little further than usual, if possible, in the
unreasonable and intempcrate misuse of Ian
guage for campaign purposes. Outside Of
an active participation in the campaign, none
would be. quicker to recognize this fact than
the very gentleman who panned the foolish
words. The lesson Of this curious contradic-
ton Of character and education, brought
about by contamination with the s.ma-
chine," seems to be that those who
are anxious for political reform have
hoped too much from the sim
huence Of tho young man in politics
and the q scholar in politics." The inference
from the illustration at hand would be TINT
the traditional methods and reigning in
fuences Of party politics are strong enough
to bear down any antagonism which the
young man and scholar may show at the out
set Of political career. If such person
reader, thinker, and m adept in the use
Of 1anguage-yields his own conviction,
sacrifices his own good taste, and indulges in
expressions that would attract his condemna-
ton and ridicule if written by any one else,
all in the preparation Of q campaign docu-