Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 September 1858 — THAT “ABSURDITY.” [ARTICLE]

THAT “ABSURDITY.”

The Expositor of week before last, under the head of “An Absurdity," says that “the Republican wire-pullers of this county are choking off their candidate because he is one qf the County Commissioners,” and that on account of “disaffection among certain, aspirants the project was conceived and carried into-effect of declaring Mr. Robinson, the nominee, ineligible.” It further says that Judge Robinson is “a Trustee of Gillam township,” and that “one is just as much of a judicial position as the other.” Now, we do not believe that this “absurdity” was written by J. A. Berry, the recent-ly-imported oracle of Lecompton for this county. We judge frtnn the style that this tissue of “absurdity” and falsehood originated with one of the Expositor's adjuncts. After Judge Robinson’s nomination, doubtsi were entertained among many as to his eligiblity; and it was feared that these doubts; might injure his election: and in order to set the matter at rest, letters were written to all the leading attorneys of Lafayette for their opinions as ,to whether the office of County Commissioner was a judicial office in such a sense as to render the holder of such an office constitutionally ineligible to the office of Representative during the term for which he Was elected Commissioner. Written answers were received from R. C. Gregory, Zebulon Baird, Judge Huff', Judge Pettit, Godlove S. Orth, Robert Jones, Hiraih W. Chase, and John A. Wilstacli, every one of whom gave a clear opinion, without the shadow of a doubt, that the office of County CpiTimissioner was a judicial office within the meaning of the-Consti-tution; and that no person holding such an office, could, during flic term for which he was elected, constitukenally, hold the office of Representative. These written opinions, as soon as received, were sent to Judge Robinson, and upon their reception, he declined the nomination, and another convention was called to nominate a candidate in his stead. These written opinions of eight eminent lawyers, among the best in the State,Aifere what the veracious editor of the E£)>ositpr says were-those of “a'learned member of the legal • profession.” As to Judge Robinson being a Trustee of Gillam township, it is simply untrue. He is not a Trustee, and has not been for a length of time; hut this oracle of Lecomptonism has discovered that the office of Township Trustee “is just as.much of a judicial position” as that of County Commissioner. Now, here is a great discovery made by this oracle of the Expositor which ought to be given to the legal world in a durable, form. Judge Perkins,i in his new Judicial Digest, enumerates ihut six courts under the Constitution and] statutes of Indiana, one of which is composed of the Board of Commissioners of each.county; and pur Supreme Court, in numerous decisions, with, the bar of Lafayette, decide this court to be one of high and ; important judicial powers; hut here is an-; other court existing;under otir laws, accord-' ing to the learned gentleman of the Exposi- i tor, of “j\ust as much" judicial power and importance!, which Judge Perkins, the Supreme Court Of; Indiana arid the Lafayette bar are ignorant of. Judge Perkins will before long be getting up the second edition of his Digest, and we would suggest to the) Expositor man that he can do a very great fa-e vor to thri legal fraternity of the whole State, j by letting Judge Perkins know about this! newly-discovered court in time to have! it in the new edition of his Digest. “’Stonishing smart feller,” that Expositor' man; oply been in Indiana übout one j month, nlstd has discovered a new court already. Who can tell what he wi !1 discover in a yeaijl . . “Still the wonder ran, and still tire wonder grew, How one pniall head contained all lie Knew.” The F&positor oI last week, in an article under the head of “Judge Robinson,” asks us, with great flourish and bravado, “who procured] the opinions, of eminet members of the Lafayette bar on the question of Judge Robinson’s eligibility! Don’t tell us of lettersSvHlten; who was the carrier of the letters written! Who paid the expenses of the trip! Whoj, outside of Rensselaer, desired to switch the Judge off the track! Who paid for the written opinions! \Viiy not expose our fallacies at once! Why pu.t off your iexposition!” The-foregoing quest tibns, though insolent and uiigentleniunly, in prying into private matters, we will answer in they order‘-in which they occur: First, then, “the opinions of eminent members of the Lafayette bar qn the question of Judge Rohinsop’s eligibility,” were procured in answer to letters written by R 11. Milroy. These letters were carried to Lafayette by W. I). Lee, who w .:s'going to Lafayette on business of his own, and R. 11. Milroy availed himse ll of the opportunity-to send the letters by him; and he (Mr. Lee) of course paid Ilia own “expenses.” No Republican, [in or outside of Rensselaer; desired to (‘switch Judge Robinson off the track,” iff he was eligible to the office of Representative; for all felt sure that in him the Republicans had a candidate who would have run your Lecompton, uncertain, bog.tisDemocratic, swamp-land cartdidate so deep into the swamp# of oblivion that he would rip more have been heard of in the political world. Jridge Robinson himself did not desire for a moment, to be Continued as a candidate, alter ho learned the fact with certainty that he was ineligible.

No one "paid for the written opinions” of the eminent members of the Lafayette bar. Such opinions are not for sale by such men; and none but a fool would ask such a question. We feel that we have exposed all your fallacies, not too silly for exposure. Mr. Berry has labored, both assiduously and insiduously, in the article aforesaid, and in other articles of his two issues, to get up jan ill feeling between Judge Robinson’s i friends*and the Republicans of Rensselaer, by trying to create the impression that there was a concerted and determined effort, on the part of “a Rensselaer clique,” to “choke” or “switch” Judge Robinson off the track: hut the design of Mr. Berry, in this puny effort, is too apparent and shallow to require more than a passing notice to draw upon it the scorn and contempt of all of Judge Robinson’s numerous friends. Barking up the wrong stump Mr. Berry, no game there; j try a skunk track.