Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-04
THURSDAY. ......JANUARY 4, 1894.
How 10 Nominate Judges.


There has been SO much said In regard
- "slatcs' and combinations made or
70 be made IN order 20 the election 70 the
Supreme Court OF Appeals Of mer who
ought not for one reason and another 10
d. elevated TO that exalted tribunal. that
81 will be in n peculiar sense the duty OF
tho approaching caucus q democratic
members Of the Legislature to be careful
that no unworthy man shall reach that
office ana no unworthy motive or con-
sidorailon be- permitted 10 influence the
result. No method Of nominating candi-
dates must be thought Of which would
enable. or could be thought TO enable,
less than n majority OF the members OF
the caucus 10 make nominations
The custom of making more than one
nomination NJ time is vicious one,
and ought 80 b" abandoned. Each judge
ought 20 Dc elected on his own merits;
but this cannot be done n the caucus
vote for making more than one nominal
lion AZ tlme. The members who favor
making FIVE nominations at time do
thus consent 10 divide one solid, substan-
tial vote into five nominal votes
40 method which IL Objectionable ought
20 he used. Would It not be better 10
nominate one candidate at Il time? 40
other manner Of nominating can always
De- relied upon 10 secure n fair result.
Not cyVn three candidates can be nomi-
mated al once wIhout committing some
thing very like q wrong upon the candi-
uates and upon the people. The usual
answer ~ the objection We have raised
SIS 20 say. "Oh. We know that there are
only 40 members. and we know that 81
is a majority of 20, and 50 we know that
our candidates received majority Of
The votes" But this is a mistake, based
upon the assumption that one htth OF
vote Is equal to whole vote; for whereas
600 nominal woes are cast and counted
as real votes. and therefore no fewer
Than CO.. should bc taken into the calcu-
lation wten the result Is being ascer-
tained. yet the custom is to take only 10
votes into the calculation in deciding how
many votes are necessary TO nomina-
lion.
once more: II there are 100 caucus mem
hers. and 81 votes be made sufficient to
elect. then th,'re may be AT least eight
nspirants. each Of them entitled TO be
declared the omince; for as there Will
Do GU OF these ffths Of votes cast and
zach one will be counted as a whole
vote. a is clear that eight aspirants may
each receive what Is called majority
or more than 60 Of the votes. Is this
result POSSIBLE II so, such caucusslng
and such voting ought not to be tolerated.
The remedy is at hand. IL the caucus
decides TO nominate five candidates at
once. and each member is allowed to
cast five votes. then the first result ought
10 be divided by five in order to ascertain
the final result \ can didate receiving 800
~ these Gfths OF votes would thus by such
decision be found 10 have received 81
real votes. or majority OF the caucus.
and 10 be entitled In law and morals 10
be declared nominee.
But let Us illustrate or eXempify our
contention. There VIII be say l2O mem
hers In the caucus To- nominate judges OF
The Court OF Appeals, and each member
will vote for two candidates. AS oil Is a
majority Of 10 81 votes will be necessary
40 nomination. What may result
can the roll Forty members out OF I'D
vote for Smith and Jones. 40 for Jones
and Brown and 10 for Smith and Brown.
,houph only two Nominations can be
,nade at once. Here is the result: