Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-12-30
TIE JvDaEsvl?.
LETTER FROM MOSES NJ. STRONG.

fJlh iibNC ISbh "AbAt Ic~hoitb'~
ton the editorial entitled "The
Judgeohip," in your issue of the sth
inst; and especially that part in
which it is said, "the election of a
Judge under the laws of this State,
though determined by general bal
lot, should be outside and independ-
ent Of the machinery Of party
politics.
Our State Constitution Cart. Z,
See, 81 declares F: "There shall be
no election for o Judge or Judges
at any general election for State or
county officers, nor within thirty
days, either before or after such
election" This feature was bor-
rowed from the first constitution.
The committee on the organization
and functions of the judiciary, Of
which Hon. G. NJ. Baker, of Wal
worth county, was chairman, and
Chief Justice Ryan was member
ia reporting the judiciary article,
embodied this provision for the
avowcd purpose of obviating the
objection to an elective Judiciary !;
that Judges would be elected as
party candidates. The committee
in their report upon this article,
says;
at is objected, that the candi-
dates for jndgeship, if elective, will
be selected by irresponsible conven-
tons AS party men, and elected be-
cause nominated, irrespective of
their merits. This objection is I'M
true in fact, and unsound in conclu-
sion. 1t is founded on the pre-
sumed Ignorance of the people Of
the character aud qualifications Of
prominent men, and on their sup
posed disregard of their own true
interests, and would prove if any
thing that the people should be cx-
cludcd from voting for every impor-
tant officer of government. Ad-
uniting that conventions would So
ect candidates with reference to
their political faith, though this IS
by no means certain, nor alwa
even probable, the people would not
therefore necessarily confirm TIE
uoice; especially would they not ii
uwiseiy made. The election OF
Judges to administer the laws in
the high tribunals of the State, who
may SIT in Judgment on the rights,
the lives and liberties Of each elector,
on a day expressly SCI apart for that
object, is an act too solemn to admit
of undue bias from the heat of par
tizan feeling or the efforts of dem
agogues,'
The first legislature of the State
enacted that the election Of Judges
should be held on the first Monday
in August, "a day expressly set
apart for that siugle object" For
several years judicial elections were
held on that day, until the legisla-
ture changed time to the first Mon
day Of April.
At the first election of Judges in
the 9th circuit, there were no party
nominations. Nj VI, Jackson, Nj.
Nj. Strong, Ben. Q, Eastman, and
Farley Eaton, were Independent,
self-nomiuated candidates, and their
relative votes were It'll the order
their names are stated ~ the
next election held in 1872, NJ. NJ.
Cothrcu was a Democratic candi-
date, having been nominated by a
Democratic convention called and
held III the usual manner. took
an active part in getting up this
! convention was member of it,
and contributed all in my power to
secure Judge Cothren's nomination.
] now think it was grave error to
have hold any party convention ;
bat there was redeeming feature
in the wisdom displayed in the Sc
lection of a candidate.
Since 1852 there have been three
elections of Judg ia this circuit /:
+ 1858, 1864 and 1870 Your editor
i'll s.ar,s II has been the prac-
,icc Gisai,- believe. to
"oM a.~.Ate tnr Judge
@ 81, !. | am
a-, Ag s.'usryatic party