New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-05
POLITICS AND il DOES.

The letter on the judiciary confess IN West
ern New-York published in this journal yester-
dav calls attention 10 Il situation Interesting 10
citizens IN all parts Of the state. The voters OF
tho With Judicial District are exclusively
CHARGED with the duty of selecting these JUS
tices huf MS the Supreme Court IS one OF gen
oral Jurisdiction. and as justices selected IN
subdivisions Of the State are taken from their
own districts to serve on the Appellate piVlsloh'
rho character Of the Supreme Court every
whore and the methods by which nominations
10 II are controlled become matters OF geherui
concern. The growing tendency to make JUDI
ojol office the prize Of politics and for asprants
70 sock r. bv intrigue and even purchase Is one
that colls for the gravest attention ana reDuhe'
The value Of pure judiciary is too well IN
dars,ood and TOO universally acknowledged 10
reouire comment Yet year after year the poo
nlc allow their party leaders TO play politics
with their courts lust as II they held no such
ideal The testimony before the Mazet Commit
700 Inst snrne showing the vast sums paid to
Tommanv for nominations 10 the supreme
Court ought 10 arouse the citizens whose lives
and nropertv are AT the mercy Of these men IN
nurchased ermine to take the selection OF
Judges into their own hands Nor is the evil
~
10 drag the court into the mire Of vote buying
and caucus manipulation extends to other parts
of the State In one county Of this State II IS
well known that a Justice Of the supreme
Conrt Is the polltico-judcial boss, who sits IN
hts Official chambers and dictates the states OF
delegates TO conventions concerned with the So
lection of his colleagues and of inferior Judges
II ,s done as unblushingly as n boss IN
MAYORS chair might carry on that branch or
political wire pulling which interested him. As
our CORES pondent points out few years ago
in the With District nominations were secured
by such scandalous methods that though Ike
publican nomination was usually equivalent
10 an election, the moral sense OF the com
munitv revolted and put two Democrats on the
bench
Whatever temporary Improvement that re-
volt may have brought, certainly the reform III
the conduct Of judicial contests has not been
permanent. Any man who is familiar with the
affairs Of this State knows perfectly well that
there are mon on the Supreme Bench today
who are there because their supporters packed
primaries. bought votes and went about visit
lug the saloons in their interest and with their
knowledge Al times Of close contests for judi
cial nominations hundreds Of dollars nave
heon sent into country towns and democrats
taken 10 Republican caucuses so that they were
carried hv the casting Of more votes than there
We, Icnublican voters in the precincts. Yet
the iu,tice so selected may any day be called
upon under the Primary law 10 enforce the
rights Of citizens threatened by similar prac-
fccs. They have long been familiar in ordi-
nary political contests. They are bad enough
there. In the case Of judicial contest they
are intolerabla.
or The rival candidates for Justice OF the
Supreme Court in the With District we do
nor intend 10 speak Our concern is only with
the method. good or bad. TO be followed IN set
Ting the contests To have the bench filled by
the dicfaiion Of one man would he a blow 10
judicial Independence from which the whole
state would suffer 1t would tend 10 the ostah
nehment IN Republican districts Of the state
Of the same system Of dcSpotism over The
courts that Mr. Croker avOvcd last fall here
and showed himself able TO maintain. Unless
the people wish to see regularly established
over The State the rule of boss made Judges
each with his little list Of organization approved
lavvors 10 be favored with references and re
ce,vcrships il is time for them to arouse them
selves. name their own judicial conventions
and demand the selection Of judges for emil
hence and character ut the bar. The parccllng
out Of places on the bench as spells hy polit
clans means the degradation Of The supreme
Court.