and the fact was just as well known to my con-
stituents as that I, myself, existed, that I was in
favor of throwing before the people the appoint-
ment of all the officers of the State, from the Go-
vernor to the sheriff. I must take this opportu-
nity, however, to say, that it was not until to-day
that I was aware of the different opinion of my
colleague. We live in the same little village,
and I have never before heard that my friend was
oppposed to the election by the people, and I
have uniformly, until to-day, supposed that he
was heart and soul in the same cause. I certain-
ly have most wonderfully misunderstood my
friend upon this question. But it is enough for
me to say, that all who know me and my politi-
cal course of life—not, to be sure, a very long
one—are aware that I am not one of those who
look out for public favor or public popularity.
Whatever course I believe to be right in itself,
I invariably pursue. If I meet the condemnation
of my constituents, be it so. In my honest opin-
ion, two-thirds of the people of our country will
be, if they are not now, in favor of that great re-
publican principle. But were I the only man in
my county in favor of it, I would stand by this
principle, even at the expense of personal sacrifi-
ces, popularity and political advantage. I thought
it proper to say thus much in reference to this
difference of opinion between my colleague and
myself, which has so recently come to my knowl-
edge. It will be considered by him, of course,
as I hope and trust, an honest difference of opin-
ion; and I shall be perfectly willing to leave to
time, the great arbiter of all things, to test the
accuracy of our judgments with regard to the
sentiments of our constituents upon this matter.
Mr. TUCK made a few further remarks.
Mr. HICKS. As we have seemed to resolve
ourselves into an experience meeting; perhaps it
might not be amiss for me to give a word or
two of my experience. I came from a county
where the people are pretty staid, quiet, and
old fashioned; and unlike some gentlemen upon
this floor, we are in that respect fair represen-
tatives of the people of Dorchester, We stand
here as one man, with us differences of opinion
upon this subject certainly. There will be no
variation in the accounts we have to render, up-
on this subject at least. I rose particulary for
the purpose of saying that this is a matter in
which I have thought it best to yield pretty
much to the members of the profession. It
seems now, however, to have became rather a
scrambling among them as to the mode of ar-
ranging it. I am not at all connected with the
profession, or interested in the profession. So
far as I know, I have not the remotest blood re-
lation who has the honor to be a member of the
profession. I come here therefore perfectly un-
prejudiced, so far as interest, feeling, and ambi-
tion are concerned, I consider myself as stand-
ing here emphatically, one of the people. If I
really believed that the people are so excessive-
ly anxious that this matter should be thrown in-
to their hands, I yield as a matter of course any
partiality of mine for the present judiciary sys-
tem. But I do not believe the people care a |
great deal about it. We seem to have come
here with a fixed purpose as one to create offi-
ces, for whom I do not know; but after the offi-
ces are created, it has been decided that the
members of the Convention are to take the
chances of being elected to them. I dare say
most of them, so far as Dorchester is concerned,
and I intend to confine my remarks particularly
to the feeling of the people of that county upon
the subject of the elective judiciary. Dorches-
ter county was canvassed from side to side, and
from end to end. Our advasaries started deci-
dedly in favor of an elective judiciary; but they
very soon found that they should have to poll
off, and did take the back track, and at last they
went so far as to say that they did not care
what the mode of appointment was; all they
wanted was to limit the time of service. We
said that if we could do no better we would go
for a shorter term, but never make them re-eli-
gible; but we wanted no changes in the system.
Our people did not care a tittle about the
changes, they desired reform, and particularly
retrenchment. They denied the entailment of
the expenses. They were told that the present
judiciary system was enormously expensive.
They were told too that $180,000 a year could
be saved by the holding of this Convention. A
little reflection, however, convinced them that
this was rather an extravagant estimate, espe-
cially when it was considered that the entire
expenses of the State did net amount to that
sum.
But they wanted retrenchment. The conclu-
sion to which I have come, after having canvass-
ed pretty thoroughly, and being well acquainted
with the people, is. that they would prefer to
have the expenses reduced. They think judges
and lawyers are a pretty extravagant sort of
men, and that the judiciary system costs too
much. But with a few exceptions I do not be-
lieve they care at all about the mode of appoint-
ment; although they would prefer it should re-
main as it is. If you could have been in our
county last September, at the election, when it
was submitted to the people to say whether we
should; or should not have a Convention, you.
would have seen no agitation. I remember that
one of the voters thought they were exclusively,
ill-treated because the Convention was not there.
He cursed the man; he had never seen him, and
if Mr. Convention would not show himself among
the people he would not vote for him. And he
went home without voting. I mention this only
to show that interest will call the candidates
for judgeship. The agitation was got up by dem-
agogues. I say it plainly and fearlessly, and not
by the masses of the people. We should be vastly
more quiet. Our institutions would be vastly
more permanent and beneficial to the people,
it were not for this eternal agitation by particular
individuals. I do not mean to intimate that gentlemen
upon this floor intend improperly to agitate
these questions. When I think about the
danger of making politicians of your judges ;
when I think that your and my property, aye,
life, liberty, and that the personal preservation |
