Knoxville Weekly Chronicle

THE COUNTY JUDGESHIP.

Our immaculate Legislature goes from blunder to blunder, each successive step leading on to something calculated to work hardships to the people. The latest blunder is the passage of an act abolishing the office of County Judge for this county. After an experience of twelve years, during which time we have had abundant evidence of the public utility of the office, it is now abolished, without any reason being given for such a step. Under the administration of Judge Jones, the financial interests of the county have been carefully guarded, and to-day no county in the South stands higher in financial circles than ours. We have invariably met the interest on our bonds with promptness, while every available surplus dollar in the treasury has been used to purchase outstanding bonds. All this is owing to the watchfulness of the County Judge. Under the old system of electing a Chairman of the County Court from the Justices of the Peace, it is almost impossible to get a competent man to devote his entire attention to the business, for the very inadequate compensation allowed.

Such a system works well enough in counties with a smaller population and less business than Knox, but a few months' experience will convince everybody that this step is an inexcusable blunder. The people naturally inquire why such a step was taken. Numbers of them came to us yesterday, indignant at the idea of men thus trifling with the interests of our county, and that only for the purpose of gratifying the whims of a few individuals.