The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-07-13
QtpF&ttltu Brrnlh.
THURSDAY. JULY IS, 1899.
The JudiciarY.


candidate to succeed Judge Pershing.
Mr.. Wadlinger's personal character
or legal attainments cannot be ques-
toned. He is an able lawyer and a
genial companion, but as the nominee
of the Democratic party he places
himself and the political organiza-
tion he represents as opposed to
minority representation so far as the
judiciary is concerned. There are
now three Democratic lawyers on the
Bench, and there undoubtedly ought
to be one Republican.
Commenting upon this subject the
Philadelphia Press says; "There are
good reasons why no Democratic
nomination should have been made
Schuylkil county now has four
Judges, including the Orphans Court
Judge, and all are Democrats. Though
the county went Democratic at the
last election for Governor by a ma
jority of 1000, it was carried by
Hastings in 1894 by a majority Of
2,OOO and by Mckinley in 1896 by a
majority of 23OO. The partisan as
cendancy in the county is uncertain,
and there is not a very great differ
ence in the vote of the two parties
under ordinary circumstances In
view of these facts it would have been
mere matter of justice to themselves
for the Democrats to concede at least
one Common Pleas Judge to the Re
publicans and to have left their ticket
open so that the name of the Repub-
lican candidate when nominated
could be put on it,
'The Republicans of Schuylzill
have shown their non-partisan dis
position in the judicial elections in
that county in a way that should
have borne fruit When in 1897 the
Term Of Judge Bechtel, Democrat,
was about to expire, the Republican
county convention formally nomi-
mated him without waiting for Demo
cratic action. Later Judge Bechtel
also received the nomination of his
party and was elected with the sup
port of both parties. 1t was proper
thing to do and was no less honorable
to the Republicans than to Judge
Becntel. The fact that Governor
Pattison had made the Schuylkill
Bench solidly Democratic by the APP
pointment of a Democrat to succeed
a Republican upon the death of
Judge Green was not allowed to
create any prejudice against Judge
Bechtel
Last year, when Judge Koch, a
Republican-who was on the bench
by appointment and had shown un-
usual fitness for the work-was the
nominee Of his party for election to
full term the Democrats of the dis
trict displayed their notions Of a non
partisan judiciary by opposing him
with a Democrat, ,lwhose election put
every judicial post in the county in
Democratic hands. Now Democra-
tic rapacity makes another partisan
contest.
What our contemporary says on
this question is voiced by all fair
minded people of the county, ire
spective of party Affiliations. There
are, Of course, bitter partisans who
take a contrary view. 1t would have
been a very graceful and proper
thing on the part Of the Democrats
not to have antagonized the election
of a Republican. There were, strange
as it may seem, quite number Of
delegates in the Democratic conven-
tion who openly expressed themselves
as favoring the endorsement of ex-
Judge Koch. He has shown himself
to be unusually we'll equipped for the
bench. The Republicans of Schuyl-
kill county have frequently shown a
non-partisan spirit in the election of
Judges, but there has never been any
response from the Democrats in the
way Of appreciation.
The Republicans will make their
nomination on Monday, and let there
be no mistake made in the selection
of a candidate. The ablest man
should be selected, and il that is done
he can win easily. There are those
mentioned who, if nominated, could
not possibly be elected and who