The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-13
TWO JUDGES INSTEAD OF ONE,
To the Editor Of The Tribune

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Lackawanna Is the only county In the
state that has two candidates for judges
of the Superior court. The nomination of
Judge Smith by the Democratic conven-
tion at Willlamsport opens up the posS!-
b!lity Of Lackawanna having dual repre-
sentation on the bench of the new Supe-
rior court. One of the six Democratic
nominees Is bound to be elected. The only
question IS which one will secure the most
votes. III Judge Smith should be the man
then Lackawanna will have two of the
judges. The fact must be borne In mind
that the election of the one Democrat
does not involve the defeat of either Of
the six Republican candidates. The idea
seems to prevail among IL certain class
that the candidacy Of Judge Smith Is In
some way in!mical to Judge Willard.
Nothing could be further from the facts in
the case. A moments reflection will con-
vince all such that the nomination OF
Judge Smith by the Democrats simply
makes possible the election of two of the
judges from Lackawanna county, and
there certainly can be no good reason why
any I.ackawanna man. be he Republican
or Democrat, should object to such re-
suit of the election. Judge Smiths
chances are fully as good as those of
either of his colleagues. His own county
Is more pOpulous than that of either of
his associates on the ticket, and he has
the additional advantage of much greater
strength than his colleagues I'm the popu-
lous county of LuZerne.
There is no sensible reason why the
candidacy of Judge Smith should divert
single vote from Judge willard. Every
electOr will vote for six candidates for
judge of the Superior court, and the seven
receiving the largest number of votes will
be elected. OF the twelve candidates Of
the two leading parties, therefore, seven
will be elected and five defeated. No one
for a moment doubts that the six Repub-
l;can nominees will win. The only ques-
ton. then, is which one of the SIX Demo-
cratic candidates will poll the most votes.
The Democrats have placed three of their
candidates in the western part of the
state. viz: One in Allegheny. one in
Westmoreland and one In Warren. Each
Of these will doubtless run ahead of his
colleague In his own section. Judge
Smiths friends have all the northeastern
section of the state in which to give him
the lead. and 1t will be strange If they do
not fully improve their manifest advan-
will convince any intelligent observer
that Judge Smiths election is not only
possible. but highly probable
Should he win three of the seven judges
will be punched in the two adjoining
counties Of Lackawanna and LuZerne. and
with Judge Reeder, of Northampton, a
majority of the court will be located in
the northeastern part of thee state. Geo
graphically considered this is not perhaps
wise distribution of the judge, but the
qutStiOl VI d1lcT
all. of infinitely less Importance than Is
the personal and judicial fitness of the
men constituting the court.
Assuming that the election of the six
Republican candidates is assured beyond
any possibility Of doubt, why should not
Judge Smith receive the votes of many
Republicans in Lackawanna and adjcin-
ing counties. and Judges Willard and Rice
receive the votes of many Democrats in
return? One Of the seven judges must OF
sc hA No 10 ny,1x-
sOnabe to assume that the Republicans In
this section prefer Judge Smith to either
OF his collea gues for the minority member
of the court If they do they well know
how to make that preference effective.
This they can do without diverting n SIN
gle vote from Judge Willard or Judge
Rice. and without ;mperilng the success
of either of the other Republican nomi-
neaS.
To few Republicans such n proposition
may SAVIOR of po'it,cal unorthodoxy. but
II Is nothing of the sort; on the contrary
II is political good sense. j. d. l..