The Columbus journal., 1893-06-28
The "Ins" and Outs" or 1t.

A marked copy of the Geneva Demo-
crat reaches our table, in which, under
the caption ''Give the People a Nom
partisan Convention for Supreme
Judge" the editor gives his opinion and
endeavors to strengthen it from the
record past and the record (conjecturedD
for the near future He believes that
the republicans will not renominate
Judge Maxwell; that the democrats can
not consistently do SO, neither can the
independents, and yet ''he is one of the
best supreme judges in the United
States" says the Democrat, urging that
the way out Of the woods is to call a
non-partisan convention and ''let the
parties be equally represented in the
convention, no matter what the relative
strength of each be in the various coun
ties, and then there can be no manipula-
ton or cries OF fraud and ring rule" !"
and this method is recommended for
the Judiciary throughout. One of the
greatest reasons why so-called civil
service reform cannot gather headway
is that the ''Ins" are not anxious for it's
enforcement, and the ''outs," when they
become ''ins," lose their interest in a
principle, because their principal inter-
est is changed to condition. The party
that thinks it has candidate who will
win is never disposed to give its chance
away to a political opponent, and the
method proposed by the Geneva Demo-
crst may be set down as among the
things not to be. Talk about a non
partisan judiciary, or a so-called nom
partisan convention, will not result
much different from the usual conven-
ton, 30 far as the quality of the Judge
elected is concerned. Your party label
does not change the natural grain of the
man, 80 to speak. Gen. jackson differed
~ president from James Buchanan,
though both were selected by the same
democratic party machinery; Lincoln
was totally different from Andy John
son, though both were republicans. As
to the Judiciary, the unjust Judge has
never found favor among American citi-
zens, and is never likely to do so, and
thus men aspiring to positions on the
bench should learn that they are ex-
pected to do their whole duty, without
regard to persons or political parties. a.
such. The judge on the bench, who is
supposed to hold the scales Of justice
with an even hand, yet allows himself to
sway toward person or party, through
personal considerations, may have been
nominated by a non-partisan conven-
ton; indeed, there is no assurance in
the nature OF things. that the product
Of such convention would or could be
essentially different from the present
plan; the holding of Office, even the
highest, should be regarded by the SOW
ereign American as incidental merely, a
trust to be exercised with the strictest
fidelity TO public interests and the spec
ial line Of duty. The existence of par
ties in q free government is not only
necessary, but very desirable. Let them
act upon the principle of best service to
the country, emulating each others vir-
tues. and helping each other eliminate
the baser considerations of political &C
ton, whether these appear in nominal
ing conventions or elsewhere; whether
they crop ont on the bench or in the
halls OF legislation. We don't need
judges who have no political opinions,
and it does not necessarily follow that q
Judge who is at the same time member
OF q political party would render q
biased Judgment. II We are to have
nou-partisan conventions for the nomi-
nation of judges, why not for the nomi-
nation of treasurers, clerks, school sup
efintendents, ct cetera?
Rather, let the different parties select
the men best fitted for tie different