The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-10-17
PARTISAN JUDICIARY,

FREE TRADERS mon partisan chnulua''
was elected AS a partisan Democratic Judg
of La Sale county three years ago; the
n know also that he was delegate to the l.
;. linois Democratic Staue convention las
q wear. and that he is partisan in the omen
sjye sense when it is to his interest TO max
display of his politics. As matter
g fact the Ottawa Bourbon organ support
, Mr. Gilbert because he is Democrat ant
AGAINST every sense of right according u
the old circuit district of viii and Grund.
; counties a representation on the Bench
Bureau Comfy Repubttcan.
/ Either this editor is singularly obtuse o
, he is dishonest In thus protesting not TO be
: able to see the difference between voting
for partisan and non. partisan candidate
when both candidates belong to one or the
other of the leading political parties OF thf
dav. We assume, of course, that every
man who is fit to be acircuit judge belongs
to some political party-he would not be d
rood citizen if he didn't. We find no tauli
with Mr.. Dibell, therefore, for being re
publican. But the fault we find with him
is that he allows himself TO be run for
strictly non. political Office as a politician
and party henChman instead OF running,
as the trainers Of our constitution meant
every candidate for Judge should run, on
his personal merits and qualifications Mr..
Dibell may be a man of irreproachabe
character and eminently fit for the office,
but he is not willing, or his friends are not
willing for him, that he shall go before the
people on any such test, but they put the
party machinery to work and crack the
party whip over the heads Of the faithful,
and under the pain and penalty of having
their party feaity hereafter questioned, de-
mand of them TO vote for Mr. Dibell, not
because he is a better or filter, or by any
means AZ GOOD and fit man for the office
AS Mr.. Gilbert, but solely because he be
longs to and Is the nominee Of the great
Republican party. TO elect men 10 office
on such grounds Is undoubtedly justiilable
where there is some party principle at
stake. We send partisans to congress or
the legislature because in either OF those
bodies great party principles or measures I
may have to be passed upon; we even jus
tifv filing our county offices with partiSans,
because 10y doing 50 we strengthen and
contribute TO the general success OF the
party and its principles. But there is no
case in which circuit judge
upon the bench, where he is by law and in
honor bound to decide without party or
other prejudice of any kind without fear,
favor or affection, strictly in accordance
with the law and the facts as applied to
each particular case that is brought before
him, can do so and be an honest party
man To sNerye one hair from the
straight line of such a course in Difference
to party fealty or obligations would be to
i'Shonor himself anu o.sgrNee hls office.
Yet how can Judge be expected 70 occu.
by such high ground-how can he possibly
do it-shoud party exigences ever re
nuire-as they so often do--that he should
swerve from the straight line of rectitude,
under pain of being dropped by his party
when the time returns for his reelection? |
Mr.. Dibell, in accepting party nomina-
ton and with 1t "A pledge of support from
his party associates on the sole ground of
bearing the same political label with them
and with an implied pledge OF fealty toI
his party when in office in return for such
support, does that which Judge Parks was
too high toned and honorable man to do,
and which Judge Gilbert would consider
himself Inundated and dishonored in
doing.
True Judge Gilbert is a Democrat, but
If elected he must get many Republican
on continuance of such support. Would
n Judge so situated ever be tempted tol
swerve from the straight line of duty to
favor his own or any political party in his
decisions TO all fair.minded people of
this judicial circuit this attempt TO drag
the judicial ermine through the filth and
mire of party politics is a strange and alb.
horrent thing For yeats Democrats and
Republicans had inditferently voted for
Leland, Goodspeed, Stipp, McRoberts and
Blanchard, never caring and often hardly
even knowing what their politics We're.
nd thpv have hppn uhlp hiuh toned md