Daily Republican., 1879-03-01
Al Elective Judieiary.

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as special prices.
$50
An Elective Jadiciary.
The people Of Delaware who never
experienced any Of the benefits Of an
elective Judiciary, cling to tn. princi-
pie Of the life tern in ofRcs for their
Judges, fearing to trust the selection Of
her chief judicial officers to the voice Of
the people. There are other States that
hang on to the principle, but the hold
il weakening, and an elective Judiciary
u growing mere popular the longer II
has bsen In existence. The history Of
lhs trial Of slscting Judges bv u popu-
tax vote In Psnnsylvania shows that
che people are less partisan in making
their selections than thu Governor ia or
dArs be In making the appointment.
A F-ausylvsnia is one Of the most
conservative States in the Union, We
may safsiy take her ~ = guide, for If
the trial Of an elective judiciary in that
state had not proved to bs advanta-
gsons, shA would long ago have return.
ID to the oA systsn Of Appointments
Ivy the Governor, either for term Of
year,, % it wss prior to the amended
constitution, or for life, ~ It was in the
ssrlisr history Of th. State. The Phil
adslphis Times" has bean looking At
this question, aud in an able and long
article gives many instances to show
ths wisdom Of conading tho election Of
Judges to the people. and gives some
notable instances Of the wisdom Of such
. course, which have occurred In that
State, amongst which was the blind
partisan leadership which attempted to
dsposs Judge Ludl'w in Philadelphia
becsuss OF his Democratic faith, and 20
able and respected . man As Judge
-Thsyer, Republican, WAS made his
competitor, but the people reelected
Judge Ludlow BY . large ma
tosity, and since then they have
given to Judge Tbsyer unsni-
nous vote for reelection TO the
sams position, thus proving tnat it Was
The wvll-settled principle and not per-
sonal considerations that controlled the
result. Judge Biddis was retained -
Judge by an overwhelming majority
over 80 worthy and competent g. ntle.
Is N. Coppes Mitchell, and judges ALI
son, Pierce, Hare, Thsyss, Ludlow and
Fell have received unanimous votes,
because they were within the sacred
circle Of public opinion that political
leaders could not enter. The Democrat
ic counties Of Bucks and Montgomery
once called Mr.. Suyser, Wing from
Adams, to preside over their courts,
aud the same counties elected Judge
Watson, the present respected Rspub
lican Judge of Bucks. Allegheny re-
jsoted partisan appointment made BY
Governor Hartranit and elected Judge
Bailey, a Democrat, TO take his place.
The overwhelming Republican district
OF Erie called Judge Galbraith from the
Democratic ranks to the bench, because
Of his pre-sminent fitness. Union, Mif-
lin and Snyder chose Judge Butcher,
Democrat, in the face Of a thousand
adverse majority. schuylkill found
her courts distelnpered, and summoned
Judge Pershing, from distant county,
by majority Of thousands cast against
all the power Of party drill, to preserve
the sanctity of her judicial altar.
Wayne and Pike forgot their Democra.
cy and elected Judge Waller, regard
,ess of his Republican faith. The strong
Republican district Of Mercer and We.
mango elected Judge Turnkey, Demo
crat, and Venango reelected him ten
years thereafter, in defiance of all the
power of the dominant leaders. Ly-
coming, demoralized beyond the aver
age in her local politics, rebelled
against an unworthy judicial, candi,
date, and elected Judge Cummin against
nearly two thousand party majority.
Crawford had taste of the exercise Of
Executive power by Hartranft's ap.
pointmeut of Judge rettis, and Judge
Church, Democrat, was elected by Re,
publican votes to prove that the peo'
pie cared more for the sanctity Of Their
oonrts than did the Governor. Mercer
aefed party discipline and e.ected Judge
MoDermott, Democrat, to rescue The
bench from tbs wrangles 81
faction. Thus. in every section of
the State, the people have risen above
party when politics attempted to oinvads
the sanctuary Of justice. The single
exception that stands out as an indel-
lible blot on the elective judiciary. il
the success Of Judge Stanton over Judge
Dana in Luzerne; but il war done in a
Hood OF passion, and with th- return Of
the sober Judgment Of III" people, they
have driven him from thv bench and
Alx.. u. IL -. IL ~. -. .l-n .t,s-