The Athens Post

The Cleveland Despatch and the Cleveland Banner have, for the last three weeks, been descanting very largely, if not learnedly, upon the causes, immediate and remote, which led to the success of the one and the defeat of the other candidate for Circuit Judge in this Judicial Circuit. And not being able to arrive at any mutually satisfactory solution of the whys and the wherefores, they are now employed in charging each other with being not guilty of writing those able and interesting articles which appear in the editorial columns of their respective papers.

Now, young gentlemen, don't you think that is a very small business to be engaged in, and one in which your readers can feel but little interest? There are other subjects to employ your pens upon. The country at large cares very little about Judge Gaut's success or Judge Rowles' defeat, and we suspect there are communities, kingdoms and principalities where the names of these respectable and talented gentlemen have never penetrated nor been heard of.

The election resulted in the choice of a competent and worthy man; but no one pretends that it would have been otherwise had his opponent proved successful. They were both regarded as well qualified for the position, and the election turned solely upon the fact that Judge Gaut, from his general bearing, manners, and affable deportment was popular among the people; while his opponent, though an honorable man, from a certain stiffness of manners and carriage, and distance in his intercourse with his fellow-citizens, was consequently unpopular, even with many of his own party, who believing the contest was one with which political feeling and bias should have nothing to do, determined to vote for Judge Gaut, simply because they "liked him best," as the phrase goes, believing him to be equally well qualified as a lawyer, a jurist, and in all other essential respects.

This is the plain, homely truth of the matter; this is the whole secret of the result; and we do not believe that unfair or dishonorable means were resorted to by the candidates or their friends, or had anything to do with determining the business. When the contest opened, it was generally believed somebody would be elected and somebody else defeated, and there is no sense or propriety in either crowing or crying over the result.

The elections were taken out of the hands of the Legislature because it was thought the alleged system of unfairness said to prevail in that body would not prevail among the people, and we regret to see intimations from any quarter that the latter, who it was contended were most competent in such matters, should have erred in the first trial under the new mode of choosing the Judiciary. In all elections, particularly where the people are the umpires, the victors should always bear themselves with moderation and forbearance, and the vanquished with manly resignation.—Then, let us hear no more about the "Harrison Platform," the "Garland Circular," and all that sort of thing with which the Despatch and the Banner have been edifying their readers for the last few weeks. They had nothing to do with determining the canvass,—the people done that, knowing both candidates, and are responsible for the result.—The Despatch and Banner both displayed a good deal of discretion during the pendency of the election, and are not chargeable with having interfered in it at all. Why should they be found quarrelling about it now?