Jackson County IA Archives News.....Thomas Hood Davis October 2, 1879
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Ken Wright wright@prestontel.com September 17, 2010, 6:16 pm

Jackson Sentinel October 2, 1879
Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Iowa, October 2, 1879

Thomas Hood Davis

In regard to the candidacy of Thomas Hood Davis for Sheriff, we have one 
charge to make that with us, and we are certain also with the people of 
Jackson County, weighs more than anything else. We say nothing of the personal 
stories that are in every mouth regarding Davis. We leave him to explain them 
and leave them out of print. But we make the charge, open and above board, and 
without fear of successful contradiction,  that Thomas Hood Davis is 
absolutely and positively unqualified, for want of sufficient education or 
ability to fill the Sheriff’s office. People must bear in mind that it takes 
an able man to make a good sheriff. There is no office in the county where the 
business abilities of a man are more seriously taxed, where more judgment and 
discretion is required, than in the office of sheriff. Attorneys will all 
agree that the very best man that can be found is required for that position. 
A mistaken notion seems to prevail that all the requirements a sheriff needs 
is to be a strong able-bodied man, that can walk up to a criminal, take him by 
his collar, and then trot off with him under his arm. The truth is, that the 
making of arrests is but the smallest and most insignificant portion of the 
sheriff’s duty, and is most frequently delegated to a deputy. The Marshall of 
Maquoketa makes more arrests in any one month than the Sheriff of Jackson 
County makes during his whole term. It is the careful management of 
foreclosures, the ability to attend to court business properly, the judgment 
to know how to act in different cases, the competency to keep entangled 
affairs straight, for the fact that the sheriff has anything to do with 
matters is sufficient evidence that they are tangled, and the honest 
management of other people’s money are among the requirements of a good 
sheriff. It is not every man that is able to fill the position acceptably, and 
among the rest is Davis. He is not a good enough businessman to be sheriff of 
Jackson county, lacking not only the ability but the requisite education. 
There are several letters in existence and one of which we publish today, that 
are fearfully and wonderfully made, and if, as sheriff of Jackson county he 
were to get up his papers in the same style, he would be the laughing stock of 
the county. It is the quintessence of cheek for a man not better acquainted 
than Davis to ask for such a responsible office as sheriff, and we are slow to 
believe that the people of Jackson county are ready to elect a man to such a 
position that is so utterly unqualified. It is a matter of surprise that he 
should succeed in getting even a renomination for the office, and we can 
account for it only on the ground that the convention that nominated him was 
unaware of his unfitness for the position. Mr. Davis is not to blame for his 
lack of education and illiteracy is not a crime, though it is to be deplored, 
but he is to blame for presuming to aspire a second time to an office that he 
ought to know that he has not the qualifications to fill properly. The fact 
is, Hood Davis is fully aware of his incompetency or he would not trust 
everything to his deputy’s hands, and absent himself weeks at a time from the 
county seat. He again thinks that with Dorsey, who is an old court house rat, 
that he can run the office another two years; but the people do not want to 
elect men who are obliged to depend on deputies, and who are living and 
continue to live twenty miles from their place of business. With letters of 
Davis’ in existence, passing from hand to hand, and creating lots of sport, 
his candidacy for the office he wants two years longer, is a farce and if he 
should accidently be elected by buying up a township again (which we rather 
think he can’t do) his papers. If he should attempt to draw them up himself 
(in Dorsey’s absence) would be the laughing stock of judge and jury. We cannot 
believe that the people of Jackson county will, if they thoroughly understand 
that Davis is so utterly lacking in the necessary qualifications, re-elect him 
to office.


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