The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-06-08
CANDIDATES ARE DOUBTFUL
But the Judicial Tub Is on Its
Own Bottom.
THREE POSITIONS TO BE FILLED.
Men With Strength Whose Fate
May Be Determined by Geo.
graphical Considerations.

N
above the station of high private in his
precinct has time at the present moment
to consider any other contest than that
which RACES around the head Of the
ticket" This is one way of saying that if
man is not candidate for Governor he
receives little or DO attention from those
of his fellow-cItizens who are accredited
to the Sacramento convention. The
swarmS of men who aspire to the offices
Of Controller, Secretary OF State. Treas
urer, Railroad Commissioner, Board of
Equalization or Congress all shake their
heads doubtfully when catechised as to
their chances and say, "Wait until we see
who is going to head the ticket" Thus it
appears that the Identity OF the "head of
the ticket" is going to determine every
thing.
There is one fight, however, to which
this chilly atmosphere of uncertainty does
not apply. The personality Of the "head
of the ticket will have nothing TO 10 with
who is or Is not going to be nominated
for Justices of the Supreme Court. The
judicial tub, it may besaid. stands on its own
bottom. The candidates, of whom there
are several hundred. are forging right
ahead, Just as though they and not Mr..
Estee, Mr. Barnes, Mr.. Chapman or some
other was going to head" the ticket In
deed, the independent character of the
contest for judicial hOnors and the fact
that it is dependent for its solution upon
nothing else that the convention is likely
to do is what makes it interesting and
worth writing about.
There are three positions on the Supreme
bench to be filled by election this year.
Two are for twelve-year terms and the
third is for four years Justices de Haven
and Fitzgerald are filing out the unexplred
terms of Justices Ross and Sharps ain. VINO
were elected in 1882. and one of whom
resigned and the other died. As both these
terms expire 10 January next. not only will
the Sacramento convention nominate Tor
two full terms, but it will select for the
term Of two months a candidate to succeed
Justice FiZgeral, ID who was appointed by
Governor Markham. The third place. 10
De filed for four years. is that vacated by
Justice Patterson, who was elected for
twelve years in 1856, and whose seat is now
occupied by Judge w. G. Van Fleet by
appointment.
This then is the exact situation, and for
these positions there are almost as many
candidates as there are Superior Judges in
the State, 1t seems that the unwritten
law of the country is that no man shall
aspire to become Supreme Justice who
has not served on the Superior bench. AT
all events, the rule is so well observed that
there are no asplranis who do not possess
these qualifications.
Out of the twenty-five or thirty Republi-
can Superior Judges who are casting long
ing eyes toward the overworked and
underpald positions in the Supreme Court,
there are but eight who, up to date. are
entitled to much consideration. They are
j. c. Il. Hebbard, Presiding Judge of the
Superior Court of this city; F. w. Hem
shaw of the Alameda Superior Court, L. S.
Terrence of the San Diego Superior Court;
w. II. Clark and j. w. Mckinley. of the
Los Angeles Superior Court; b. T. Will
nj
Court, and Justices &c Haven and Van
Fleet of the Supreme Court. All these
gentlemen have elements of positive
strength, and although il is not possible at
the present time to designate among them
single certain nomlneE, 1t is reasonably
sure that the three successful ones will be
found among them.
Geographical considerations will prOba-
bly, determine the fate OF several of them.
For instance, the southern part of the
State now has no represen tative upon tile
Supreme bench. But Sacramento-count-
ing in Van Fleet-has three, YolO has one,
San Francisco-conceding Judge Ftz-
gersld's claim that he belongs in this
clty-has two, and Hum bOldt has one. OF
course this distribution cannot continue
One of the twelve-year terms is certain to
go south. The question IS Who will get il ?
The Los Angeles candidates. Clark and
Mckinley. cannot both have the delega-
ton from that county. 1t is not yet
settled which one is most deeply intrenche1
in the affections of the county. When IL is
one of them will drop out. This will leave
the other and Terrence of San Diego to
dispute with Williams of Ventura for the
suffrages of the south. a
The latter is the OminOus figure of whom
they are all afraid. Judge Williams
stands about feet inches and Is big in
proportion. He has classical face. is an
able lawyer and enjoys the respect and
esteem of everybody. All the politicians
from the south who have recently arrived
in this city declare that the moment the
convention sees Williams it will be- all
over with the other candidates from the
south. They say he will be nominated if
for nothing else than to stand off the
face and immaculate shIrtfront of Chief
Justice Beatty, who is one of the best
| looking Judges in the United States.
Geogra phical considerations will proba-
bly, determine that the other twelve-year
position shall 60 to San Francisco, aud
perhaps the short term also TO the center
of the State. The north having already
| Chief Justice Beatty, Justice Mcfarland
and Justice Garoutte, cannot possibly ex-
pect another place. Judge Van Fleets
| supporters recognize this so thoroughly
| that they are putting him forward as a
| San Francisco candidate. Although he
has lived nearly all his life at Sacramento,
| at one time represented the county In the
Legislature and was elected 10 its Superior
| bench, he is now accredited to this city.
| Judge Van Fleet is a man of considerable
| penetration, and he is said to appreciate
| the weakness of this attitude. But he is a
| cousin Of Colonel Fred Crocker and has
| many influential connections which may,
| Notwithstanding. secure for him one Of
the remaining places.
! 1t Is not all unlikely that one of the
| nominations will fall to Presiding Judge
| Hebbard of this city. Three-quarters of
| the local delegation is said to have agreed
to support him, and he will receive votes
| from many other counties. The San
! Mhteo delegation is for him, he is The
| second choice of several of the Alameda
representatives. who are pledged first TO
Judge Henshaw, and it is stated that
some of the southern delegations. when
| their own claims are settled. will vote for
| him.
His chief competitors are Justice de
! Haven and Judge Henshaw. just where
| the formers political strength comes from
| nobody seems TO know. He Is a man OF
| commanding presence and high character;
| but outside of Humboldt County it is not
| known where the delegates TO nominate
him are coming from. The politicians en-
| gagged in "szng up" the judicial contest
| do not underrate the prestige that comes
| from having made an acceptable incum-
| bent, however, and this may be strong
| enough to carry Judge de Haven through.
| If it is he is already booked for the short
| term.
| The in teresting contest OF the conven-
4 r.