Year: 1873




The Convention which has been called for the
PURPOSE Of nominating q candidate for Supreme
Judge in opposition to Judge Lawrence is to
meet tomorrow at Princeton, at 2p. m. This
Convention ia Of peculiar character. It YES
projected in response to class sentiment that
was founded, as has since been confessed by
many who paftook OF 1t ut one time. on a misap-
prehension. It was rumored throughout the
State before the publication of the Supreme
Court opinion In the St. Louis l. Alton case,
that the decision was adverse to the interests OF
the public md in favor Of railroad extortion and
discrimination. This rumor was circulated at
= time when tho whole people, and the
farmers in particular, we're in state
Of great excitement over railroad monopoly and
tyranny, and when they were ready to resent
q routrance any expression that was susceptible
Of construction favorable to the railroad inter-
est. The rumor was readily accepted 81 true.
State Senators, local leaders Of the farmers who
we're honest, and demagogues who we're dis
honest, took it up and paraded it before tho
public in letters and speeches. tanning the latent
heat OF the excitement into flame. Though
the decision came from the entire Supreme
Bench, Chief Justice Lawrence WAS held person.
ally responsible, for two reasons !: l. Because he
had delivered the opinion which was construed
to- be so Objectionable; and 2. Because
the first vacancy on the Supreme Bench
occurred in his district, and thus offered
the first opportunity. for the proposed "rever-
SAL" l. convention WAS then decided upon, to
be held at Princeton, April so. The events that
led to it's conyocation show that it WAS projected
for the purpose Of defeating Judge Lawrence
rather than of electing any notably fit man to
his place, or Of preserving the integrity and
ability Of the Supreme Court Of the State. Had
Judge Lnwrence been guilty Of any Judicial act
calculated to impair the dignity and trustworthi-
ness Of the Supreme Bench, there is little doubt
that such movement would have been hera]ded
throughout tho whole State as just and proper,
and would have attracted the cooperation Of all
men interested in maintaining the high standing
Of the court Of Inst resort in this State. The very
reverse OF this has been. the case, and it is a
foregone conclusion that the proceedings Of the
Princeton Convention will show as much


There has been very decided change in the
public sentiment which first suggested the call
ing of the Princeton Convention. The decision
itself has been published and read It is now
generally known that the first construction put
upon the St. Louis g. Alton decision Was Alto
gether erroneous. This much has been openly
acknowledged by the Legislature in session at
Springfield, by many Of the leaders in the farm
ers'moyement, by the mass convention Of farm
ers which met at Springfield, by several OF the
local farmers meetings in various counties, and
by every man and every assembly that
have read the opinion OF the Court, and
honestly reviewed the causes and ef-
fects Of it. The action Of tho FarmerB'
Convention OF Piatt County, which Was held at
Monticello the 18th inst, is illustrative Of the
change. It WAS there resolved that the Supreme
Court decision in the Alton caso was "tho only
one that Was possible under the decisions Of the
Supreme Court of the United states," and the
Convention added: "We deem it but Justice to
ourselves, as we'll to our Supreme Court to
hereby express our confidence in their [the su-
preme Court's] integrity aud ability" In ono
word, it has been found TINT the Supreme Court
decision showed that the public has frmer
basis Of protection than is to be found in any
statute against railroad extortion and unjust
dissemination, and that it is only necessary to as
sert this protection in proper legal form to make
operative and binding. Agreat minority Of those
who honestly opposed Judge Lawrence's re-eleo-
tionunder amisapprohension OF the decision have
withdrawn their opposition, and given evidences
Of their appreciation Of 3 court that knows the
Law, and declares it in the face Of popular ex-
citement rashly seeking to overtun the 1aw.


The movement against Judge Lawrence must
now be confined to men who, II honest, have
not the insight to understand tho real condition
OF the controversy, or, having this, arc deter