Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-03-20
THE SUPERIOR JUDGEsHIP.
What Some Affirm to Be An inJu
dicious judicial Appointment.

dicious judicial Appointment.
IT, cNtiting topic uf conversation (
and comment the past week has been
the appointment ri Mr. JOS. Robinson
Superior Judge for this district. /.
Problllv no local appointment that
has ever made has been the subject oi
more bitter contention. The positive
nature Of the aprointee has, as is al
WAYS the case, attracted warm friends
and made bitter enemies. 1t Is usual,
in such cases, to reject the claims OF
candidates who arouse much OPPOSE
ton. and it is only an extreme condl-
ton OF circumstances that would war
rant "A violation oil this rule. This
Coy. Laughton assumes 70 exist.
Two other prominent candidates
presented their claims-Mr. Porter sup
ported by several members OF the bar,
a few citizens and the earnest recon-
mendation of Gov. Ferry, and Mr.. Root,
who was endorsed 10y the Olympia
!; ,lri OF Trade, II of the Is members
of the Republican County Committee.
the Mayor, Council and city officers Of
Olympia, except two, a majority Of the
practicing attorneys, many OF the conn
ty officers nearly all the voters of Tum-
water and numerously signed petitions
from the business men and residents OF
Olympia, Ielnl, Rochester, TeninO,
Bucoda, and other parts of the county.
Mr. Aver was likewise an applicant,
hut his endorsements were neither
numerous nor powerful enough to Sc
cure executive consideration.
In fact, it seems that this was
matter in wlich tie will OF the people
cut very little figure. The Governor
had evidently made up his mind as to
who should receive the plum, and de-
lay was only to afford more time for it
10 ripen and make it more palatable
when swallowed
Saturday afternoon, the Governor
declared that he would defer to the
expressed wishes of Gov. Ferry and APP
point Porter, provided that gentleman
would make a formal request for him
to do so. This, as he doubtless sur
missed, would arouse a vigorous advO-
cacy OF the claims OF his own candi-
date. Ferry Immediately responded
that he had promised to appoint Por-
ter, and hoped Laughton would do So
and that he (Ferry) would shoulder
the responsibility. The telegram had
the desired effect. Sunday the Gov
ernors office was the scene of very ami
mated discussion Of the relative quail
tications Of the two candidates to
which the question had been narrowed
Gown. Gov. Laughton Monday tele-
grsphcd the result to Ferry to have
been that many working members of
the bar had protested against the ap.
pointment of Porter on the ground of
INCOMPETENCE, and that Porter had
made no showing of backing from
leading attorneys"
There seems to be no question that
majority of the bar association
favored Robinson. Judge Dennison
was the spokesman, and he tersely
states the reason TO have been that
Mr.. Robinson was the better lawyer,
and that the practitioners did not
relish the idea Of being compelled to
instruct the court on matters of law.
In other words the Jacksonian test of
honesty aud competency was observed
with possibly q substitution OF the
relative terms, placing capability as
the qualification of primary imppr.
tance.
Now that the tempest in the teapot
has somewhat subsidized, let us hope
that the new Judge will receive the
cordial support of bar and people. II
he can school himself TO keep down
his prejudices and interpret the law
without partiality or favor, he may
surprise some OF those who honestly
doubted that anything good could
come out of Nazareth.