Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-11-13
Gbe Ca,uastcr 1ntfliiesnfes
LANCASTER. NOVEMBER Is. lsss
The Goyernor,s Choice.

The governor has appointed Henry
Reed to the judicial vacancy in Philadel-
phia. Judge Reed is acknowledged on all
sides to be q very fit man to be Judge ;
but the popularity of his selection is that
it is that of Republican made by Demo-
cratic governor, to fill a vacancy caused by
the death of Democratic judge.
We are not disposed to censure the gov
ernor for his failure to appoint Democrat
to this place, although we think that If we
had been invested with the power, we
would not have done as he has done if we
could have found an equally fit
Democrat at the Philadelphia bar to
I'LL the judicial vacancy. We would
have felt that so long as party nominations
are made for the judicial Office, and while
the number of Republican judges upon the
Philadelphia bench so greatly exceeds the
number Of the Democrats, it would be
doing but justice to our party to have ap-
pointed Democrat to fill Democrats
place.
Weare not willing to censure the governor
Tor doing otherwise, because he has done
the one essential thing in appointing man
who is very fit to be Judge. His political
views are of very subordinate Importance :;
man tit to be judge will not be partisan
on the bench. II is a matter of sentiment
and prejudice to be solicitous about a
judges politics after his fitness is conceded; !;
judicial fitness being wholly Incompatible
with partisan action in the administration
OF the office. To lie tt to be Judge man
needs, far more than knowledge of the
law, such clearness of vision and impair
tiality OF mind as will unvaryingly lead
him to see the right and decide for it.
Then we have in him judge in the justice
OF whose decisions not only every party but
every condition of man can confidently
rest.
Such should all judges be; such all Judges
are not. There are men at nearly every
bar who would come very close to filling
the ideal requirements of the perfect Judge,
but they are not often chosen to the place.
Their mode of appointing judges is not
conducive to their selection for their TT
ness. They generally are not politicians.
Rarely are they of that order of politicians
that impresses itself upon the convention.
The acumen and knowledge needed for
Selecting the tittest man for Judge abides
not in the convention nor tha inclination
even to find him, when the buttonhOling
candidate is around, with his empty brain
and its beaming smile to captiyate the
delegate. When fortune favors the people
good judge is nominated but the cards
ppppra 1ly CtNalyaJ ;,rt
Thus it is with very great pleasure that
we see judge selected for his fitness and
when the Democratic governor Of Penn
syivania selects fit Republican for a
Democratic judges place he gives the
strongest testimony that his search has
been alone for fitness. We wholly
discredit the report which our neighbor, the
Examiner, gives, that the appointment of
Judge Reed is the consideration of bar
gain for the Republican votes that elected
Judge Gordon. The governor has
probably been anxious TO put
man on the bench who could be
elected 10y the people, and has
thought that he would be doing a
better service 10 the state by appointing n
fit Republican judge,who would compel the
nomination of the majority party, than by
naming Democrat whose party nomna-
tion would be unava;ling to elect
him. And if it be conceded that
Democratic judge would not have
been kept on the bench by the people at the
next election, this would alone justify the
governor to his party; and whatever else
MS action has testified to, it shows to the
people far more magnanimous act than
has ever been charged against Repub-
lican governor.