The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1892-12-01
SAUK CENTRE HERALD
THURSDAY. DEC. 1. 1892.
AN xPPOINTTYE BENCH.

Asupon all public policies. SO especially
in the matter of selecting judicial officers
Ex-Gov. John s. Pilisbury shows that
keen insight into best methods which so.
distinguished his unparalleled admins
tration of the Office of Governor OF Min
nesota. He favors an appointive bench
with life tenure and presents his views
with his usual cogency. He says:
81 believe that the Governor is better
fitted to select the men for the judgeships
than the people at large or their repre-
sentatives in political conventions. The
average citizen has no personal knowl-
edge of the qualification OF lawyers who
may be eligible for the bench. In con-
ventions the work of the political schem-
err is influential and the will OF the best
element seldom prevails. On the other
hand, the Governor has the opportunity
to personally consider the merits ofJudi-
dicial timber, consult with attorneys
and get the best information possible.
If he is anything of a man he will make
much better selections than the average
party convention. But am not in
favor of making the bench partisan.
believe that the Democracy should be
represented in the supreme court as well
as the Republicans. 1t happened that
when was Governor had number OF
appointments to make, and though did
not draw party lines maintained the
idea that the bench should consist OF
three Republicans and two Democrats.
appointed Justices Mitchell and Dickin-
son, and with Justices Berry, Clark and
Cornell, think I can say without dis
paraging the bench before or since) that
the supreme court at that time was as
able one as we have eyer had and a
credit to the state.
There lire many reasons why the
judges should serve for fife. The most
important is the entire freedom from po-
lItical influence secured. A Judge whose
position is assured is without possibility
of bias OH political grounds. He is alb
solutely free to give his decisions without
fear of political punishment at the next
election. He is beyond the necessity OF
working for nomination in political con-
ventions and lowering the standing OF
the court and his personal dignity and
selfrespect as judge by seeking politi-
cal influence and hunting tor votes. A
man who spends from ten to twenty-fv
years on the bench, as some of our best
iudes have, said Gov. Pillsbury, gives the
best part of his life to the service. eff
dropped for political reasons, he is
obliged, when past the prime, to take up
practice and work up business like
Young man. This is an injustice, Be-
sides, if he has been faithful judge, he
has made enemies. His decisions, how
ever fair, will, in many cases, be insists
factory to the defeated litigants. There
will be lawyers who disagree with him
on legal points. Plenty of people will
work against him. Ajudge should be
free from tpe expectation of these things.
The supreme judges should have not
less than $4,000 year salary. Legal
talent of the right yuaiity should not be
expected to fill the position for less than
that"
1t is proposed that the legislature sub
mita constitutional provision providing
for the appointment ofjudges whenever
vacancies occur, either by expiration of