The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-16
POPULAR .ELEC ton OF JUDGES
WOULD CORRUPT OUR JUDICIARY.
Mr.. Henderson DaingerfeId Writes Of the Dan
gers of Making Our Courts Dependent Upon
Popular Patronage--A Question Of Vital
Importance to the People Of Virginia.

It is OF the last Importance
that i'll the exercise OF there duties he
should observe the utmost fairness.
Is it not to the last degree important that
he should be rendered perfectly and COM
pletely independent, with nothing to in
fiuence OF control him but God and his
conscience? You do not allow a man to
perform the duties of q juryrnan or d
judge if he has one dollar of interest in
the matter TO be decided, and will you
allow a judge to give a decision wien his
Office may depend upon it?"
WOULD DESTROY CONFIDENCE.
Not only will the purity of the courts
be invaded; the confidence OF the peop.e
in the courts will be destroyed. II the
decision be adverse to q man of little in
tiuence whose opponent has much, he may
say, as Mr.. Scott predicted in the con-
vention Of '29: THAT fellow dared not
give me Justice The history OF States,
whose judges are elected by popular vote,
Shows that such decisions do occur with
ever-increasing frequency. Later, when the
public conscience is thoroughly drugsed,
the first question asked concerning a
itigant is: What are his politics." and
men Of good standing speak with appro-
val of q judge as one to be depended
upon for decision on strictly party lines.
Since 1 have lived in Kentucky 1 have
seen and heard these things almost daily.
| The treason trials in Ireland in 1888 fur
nish the only parallel to certain trials
of recent occurrence in Kentucky. People
who bitterly censure the State for the
bloodshed which in the last year has
stained her borders, do not realize the out
RACES her people have patiently endured
Her sons have been reused every right
guaranteed them, arrested without legal
warrant, denied bail, denied speedy trial.
and finally brought to trial by packed
jury before a partisan judge. These are
not idle allegations, but facts within my
own knowledge
But, we say, evils like these could not,
under any system, come upon US IN Viz
GINA. ''Thou, Lord, hast made our house
Of defence very high" Listen to the words
of Temple B0dley at Louisville, in Feb
rllary of this year:
when, in 1S49 a few blatant dema-
gogues-the real authors OF our present dis
grace-persuaded a misguided pepole that
they were wise in all things and should
choose their own judges, the character
of the bench and .ar of Kentucky was
so pure tnat it took years to corrupt it.
But now, the election boss, the ward
heeler, the saloon-keeper, the lawyer
criminal has more influence in some OF
our courts than the most respected citi-
zen or the most eminent counsel at the
bar. And even when the judge is an up
right man-and most Of our judges are
ti,at-the standard of intelligence and
earning demanded by the votcrs is so low
that law and justice are often but the
tossing Of a copper"
A GREAT CURSE.
Again he says: "Indolent, ignorant and
corrupt judges are the greatest curse of
any state. They degrade the bench. they
debase the bar, they make csloas of the
law. 3 The experience Of
nearly every State with an elected ju-
dietary is the same. There are degrees,
of course, but public confidence in judges
nominated by political wire-pullers and
elected by popular vote is well-nigh gone"
The voice of John Marshall, sounding
in that great speech on the danger Of
impairins the independence of the ju-
dietary. and ringing down the years. car
ries this question to each delegate to the
Constitutional Convention that is to be:
.Will you bring down this curse upon
Virginia."
HENDERSON DAINGE1RFIELD.