The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-10-26
JUDGE MITCHELL'S LETTER.
a Sharp Record.

Clyde, Mimi, Oct. II, 1898.
Editor Representatives
Minneapolis.
Dear Sir:-The fusion Populists of Wi
mona county met in convention Sept "a
and made five nominations out of about
II or Is offices that we're to be filled;
also appointed a committee to confer
with the Democrats at their convention
to be held Oct. 8. But when said COM
mittee called on the Democratic conven-
ton they were ignored. The Democrats
nominated a full ticket and then passed
a resolution indorsing the action of the
Democratic and Peoples party state con-
ventions in nominating Hon. William
Mitchell as candidate for the supreme
bench as nOn-parisan judiciary, a man
whose ability, answering integrity and
clear record while on the bench should
give him the vote of every citizen.
Now VINO Is this William Mitchell
that deserves such honors and praise?
l have not the records at hand, but to
the best of my recollection he came to
Winona in an early day; he came from
Canada; he is of Scotch descent. Oh,
yes, a canny Scot and young lawyer,
and he got to be quite prominent law
yer in WinOna; then he got to be dis
trict judge; then aspired to the supreme
bench; but. being Democrat and afraid
that party could not elect him, he made
the plea that judgeships should be held
above common party politics, and the
ton. He knew that William Mitchell
was just that right man." "All parties
vote for me! Good Lord, good devil! All
vote for me-" Since he has been in Of
flee he has been quoted as making the
remark that some one drew more pay
than he. The judges salaries were
forthwith raised without them asking
for 1t, you know.
AS supreme judge, what has been his
record? With Mitchell a member of the
supreme bench the adjustment bonds of
brought before that court, and it was
required by the legislature that there
should be full bench and should one Of
the judges be absent from any cause
their seat should be filled with district
Judge; and if others should be absent
their places should be filled in the same
way. With this hole to crawl out at,
every supreme judge on the supreme
bench got away; there were none but
district judges to sit on the case. Where
was Mitchells answering honesty
then? Did he forget his non-partisan pol
icy? Did he make any excuse to the peo-
pie for not attending to his business,
and allowed the case to be lost; decided
by partisan court-a court that be-
longed to the railroad party?
guess Mitchell had sore thumb and
could not attend. oh, yes, he is canny.
That decision caused the state to pay the
old transit bonds that William Ashley
Jones declared were not worth the pa
per they were printed on, and burned
Sis, 900 of them in Winona on the bank
of the river, making bonfire of them.
Yes, Mitchell is canny. What about
his tax decision on the Duluth elevator
paternal policy?
But Mitchell is quite paternal, because
it is told around that if he does not
get on the bench again he wants the
state to give him pension, and when
he dies he will want it continued and
he will will it to his relations! A pa
ternal legacy!
This he wants paid from the tax payers
of Minnesota, for reversing the de-
cisions of more cases of the lower courts
than any other supreme judge in the
state and mostly reversed it in favor
of the rich as against the poor; that is,
in favor of railroads and against the
farmer.
Personally, have nothing against
William Mitchell. He is stern. able