The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-03-13

judicial officers TO divest themselves of
political opinions. 1t is not often that
questions come before them for adjudi-
cation, which involve political issues.
But when SO, their political bias invaria-
bly, warps their Judgment and the decis-
ion bears the impress of the politics
which the majority of the bench profess.
This fact may be deplored but cannot be
denied, and the notorious electoral com
mission furnishes proof of this PROPOSE
ton which cannot be controverted. Re-
publican journals are now active in rep
rehending the induction of politics in the
election OF q justice of the supreme count
Of the state. Strange as it may seem
they are advocating the election of
candidate who IS republican, while de
nouncing democrats for putting in nom
nation for the same Office man in ac-
cord with them on political questions.
If democrats may with propriety be
censured for nominating q man for the
position, certainly republicans are not to
be glorifed because they ask the people
of the state to vote for a republican.
Nobody questions Judge Coles fitness
FOR the position. Not word derogatory
to Judge Cothren's ability or purity Of
character can be truthfully uttered.
Though republicans claim that Judge
Cole has been ''called out" by the legis-
laturo rather than nominated by repub-
| lican Legislative caucus, he is as much
! the candidate of the republican party
| as though he was nominated in the usual
way, and if he is elected it will be by
republican votes. If democratic mem
| bers Of the Legislature signed the call for
Judge Cole to be candidate they did it
with the understanding that politics were
TO be ignored and that two years hence
Judge Ryan's being a member of the
democratic party would not be considered
an objection to his retaining the position
which he honored. The ready acquies-
cence of the democratic members in the
candidacy of Judge Cole, sufficiently
evidences their desire to divorce politics
from judicial elections. Had this will
ingness been reciprocal there can be no
doubt that there would be but one can
didate before the people at the April
election. The republicans who grasped
at everything and who would make nc
concessions, are the persons who are
responsible for this, earnestly as they
labor to throw the burden upon the
democrats.
Republican papers applaud their party
for its hberality in the election of Judi
cial officers. If it be liberal in every in
stance to eject republican to the bench
when 1t is in the power of the party &c
do 50 then are the encomiums pronounced
upon that party by its press deserved
Ever since the republican party succeed.
ed to power in this state until the elect
ion of Judge Ryan, have the persons
elected to the supreme court been mem.
bers of the republican party. Judge;
Dixon, Cole and Lyon are republicans
Judges Downer and Paine were republi
cans. Not until the state went democrat
ic was there the remotest thought oil
placing on the supreme bench mar
who did not observe the political faitl
of the party in power. There is nothing
discreditable in this to the judges wht
were elected but it goes to show the lib
crafty which characterized the party
which now lauds its observance of thai
sentiment. The constitution of the
United States in an attempt to place the
national Judiciary above the jostle O.
political contention made the offices APP
pointive ones. OF the justices appointed
by the executive end confirmed by The
senate since 1860, how many are demo
Gratis? Surely, if the republican party
was pursuing 3 policy OF such high
minded liberality, republicans would not
be invariably selected for judicial offices
The election Of Z. G.. Ryan took place
at tine when the state was democratic
At the general election preceding, the
state was carried by the democrats by
$4,000 majority. At the general election
succeeding, the democratic state ticke
was elected except the candidate fol
governor. Just at this time republicans
made a virtue Of necessity and were
liberal. When the number of justices
on the supreme bench was increased tc
five, each party was allowed to name
one. 1t seems that even in this arrange
ment party played some part. 1t might
seem a graceful aud liberal thing for the
republican party to allow the democrats,
then IN the minority to name one candi-
date who was to be voted for without
opposition. But the republican majority
at that time did not warrant the party in
making demands that would not readily
be acceded to. Beside the greenback
party was an unknown factor, and discre-
ton was deemed the better part of Yalor.
In writing as we have, we have no
thoughts of iustifying the consideration
of politics in the selection of judge
We would hail with delight the entire
ohhteration OF party lines in the selection
of any judicial officer and regret that a
mans politics should in any way be
deemed necessary qualification. But
We deprecate the selection OF man be-
cause he IS a member of a party fully as
lnGch as because he is selected BIZ a
party. In either case he owes his elect
ion 70 party. Every republican journal
of the state seeks to make pastisan capt.
! tal ont of the action OF the democrats.
! Not an article III any of the PILoT's DEM
ocratic exchanges has had in it anything
! calculated to stir up party spirit. 1t is