The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-10-26

Ii is very amusing since the Ohio cleo
ton 10 read the daily appeals made to
Democrats by tie Pit,sburg Republican
papers TO vote for Sterre t, the Republican
candidate for Judge OF the Supreme Court.
Their plaiutve cry TO the Democracy is,
Help me, Cassins, or sink ?'' 1t is rather
l,umilioting to see leading journals Of the
once proud and defiant Republican party
thus appeal to the hated Democrats to help
them in the hour of their distress. The
unhappy and despairing editors of these
Republican organs have suddenly conceived
a violent love for what they call 1son-par-
tisdn judiciary, and have the assurance to
ask Democrats to help them manufacture
a non partisan Judge of the Supreme Court
out of James Z. Sterrett, by casting their
votes for him. This demand for non
partisan Judiciary is purely an afteit eithought
and is without force. There is not one OF
the present Judges Of the Supreme Court,
nor J Judge of any of the other Cour's in the
State, who was no., in a greater or less de-
gree, partisan before be became Judge.
1t is expecled that when a man becomes a
Judge he will cease to be a politician, and
so far as the Judiciary of this State is con-
cerned this desirable result has been achiev-
ed, the confident predictions of the enemies
of an elective Judiciary to the contrary not
withstanding. We do not know of judi
cial district in the State In which the peo-
pie are afflicted with that most insufferable
of all curses, political judge, and certain
" the Supreme Court is not partisan tri-
bunal.
1t is not pretended by these Pittsburg
editors that Judge Turnkey is not most
able man, and eminently fit to occupy a
sea, OH the Supreme bench and such being
the case, they cannot seduce Democrats
from his support by preaching to them
. about the beauties of a partisan judi
ciary. Judge Sterrett's Piitsburg cham
pions have very short memories, and this
is the first time that they ask political con-
siderations to be ignored in a judicial elec-
ton. In 1872, James Thompson, who was
DemocI at, and had sat on the bench of
the Supreme Court for fifteen years, was
, renominated by the Democratic State con-
veution, lie was admitted to be everything
that a Judge ought to be-abe, pure and
incorruptible--andye yet the Republican State
convention, knowing that nomination
then was equivalent to an election, went to
Congress for a candidate and nominated
Ulysses Mercur, who was more Of o polti-
clan than a lawyer, and who, when COM
pared with Judge Thompson, In point of
capacity, was as pigmy to a giant. The
beauties of a non partisan Judiciary did not
then appear so apparent to the editors of
the Pittsburgh Republican press, and they
vigorously supported Mercur without a
! why or wherefore. They must not COM
plain now if the poisoned chalce is COM
| mended to their own lips. We admit that
Judge Sterreit is infinitely a better candi-
! date than either the vain and loquacous
Passmore, or Hart, the pet Of the Treasury
! ring, but if the Republican ship goes down,
as We believe it will, at the November
election, Judge Sterrett will sink with it.
Whatever Democratic support he may re-
ceive in Allegheny county will uot save him
from the general wreck.