Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-10-08
NONPARTIZAN ELECI'N
a Grand Letter by Grand Man, Now
Deceased. and Once Judge of


Deceased. and Once Judge of
This Circuit-Jusige Nowlin.
The nonpartizanship of the judiciary
is forcibly expressed in the following
letter of Judge Nowlin, addressed to
the voters of this circuit when he was
the democratic nominee in 1889. This
was at the first state election held
after the admission of South Dakota
into the union. The state constitution
made provision authorizing the legis-
lature to fix the time of the election of
judges at different time from that at
which other officers are elected. But
ut the time of Judge Nowlin's election
the separation had not yet been made.
At the election OF 1889 all the state
officers and members of congress. to-
gether with the circuit and supreme
judges, were elected. This circuit,
composed of the counties of Penning-
ton, Custer and Fall River, cast 1925
votes, of which the republican candi-
dates for state offices received 2,O95
and the democratic candidates 114O.
Yet Nowlin, the democratic nominee
for circuit judge, received 1886 and his
competitor 1261, making Nowlin's ma
jority go votes, which means that he
received 800 or more republican votes.
This was certainly Il decision most
emphatic by the people of this circuit
that they believe in divorcing politics
from the judiciary as much as posi-
ble. We now have no political ques-
tions at issue, and people are left to
vote their convictions as to the most
competent candidate, even as they did
upon the judicial question when Judge
Nowlin was elected.
Upon this question of the non -parti-
zanship of the judiciary Judge Nowlin's
letter is to the point and interesting.
1t is as follows:
RAPID CRY, Pennington County,
South Dakota, September 16, 1889.
DEAR SIR: 1t is unnecessary to re-
mind you that the first state election
of South Dakota will occur on October
LIST. 1889: and that at said election the
adoption of the constitution of the new
state will be submitted to the electors
| of the proposed state. These are mat
ters of general concern with which the
people are we'll acquainted, but there
are some other questions to be sub
mitted at the same time, and officers
of the new state to be elected. upon
which the voters may not be so we'll in
formed, especially the election of state,
Judicial and legislative officers, who
have been nominated by the respective
political parties in their conventions
and are now seeking the support of the
electors in their respective districts to
secure their election to the respective
offices to which they have been nomi-
mated.
Personally, had the honor to receive
the nomination of the democraticp party
of this district for circuit Judge of the
Seventh judicial circuit of South Da-
kota. embracing the organized counties
of Pennington, Custer and Fall River,
And while appreciate the high
honor conferred, it is doubly gratifying
to me to know that the choice of the
convention was not the result of any
preconcerted action brought about
through the active interest of partisan
friends, but resulted from the deliber.
ate unanimous desire of tho whole con.
vention without dissenting voice.
My own views with respect to the
judiciary elections in our own state
are not unknown to the members OF
the bar, and persons with whom 1 have
conversed on the subject. Indeed
have been an early and constant advo
cate of the adoption ola constitutions
provision separating and fixing a diff
ferent time for the election of our ju
dicial officers from that upon which
political officers are elected, and ou
constitution provides that the legisla
ture may fix separate and differen