The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-09-12
THE VACANT
JUDGESH|P
The Still Hunt for Geo.
Gear.
THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG.
The Put Up Job to Prevent a
Popular Choice for
Circuit Judge.

There r. general Indignation among
lawyers who are not pledged in adj
vance to support ring nominations AZ
the attempt Of Judges Humphreys ana
slnlman To steal a march on the bar
and the public in the matter Of a sue
cessor to Silliman. Acting purely in
the Interests Of the ring. with which he
has been coquetting from the start.
Sllllman resigned on the quiet and
Joined Judge Humphreys in the recon-
mendation OF George ID. Gear. Hum
phreys owes Gear for going 10 Wash
ington and working. through the late
Senator Gear of Iowa. TO get the Arr
zonan a judgeship and he also wants 10
atone for the attack made on Gear by
the Republican in connection with the
ownership Of Iwilei boarding houses"
so he put up the job 10 railroad Gear
into a judgeship-fOr which no lawyer
could be less fitted-and Me Too Sill
man OF course voted aye. The people.
for reasons which are self-evident.
were given no inkling OF the resignation
until IL, with the accompanying letter
recommending Gear, was either at
Washington or well on the way there.
The Star interviewed Humphreys,
snliman and Gear yesterday as fo;-
lows. The interviews show clearly
enough, between the lines. what the
ring scheme is:
Judge a. 5. Humphreys was seen this
morning and asked II II was a fact that
Judge Smiman had resigned some days
ago in place OF yesterday. lie replied
My letter endorsing George u. Gear fol
the Office Of Second District Judge reach
ed Washington TO-DAY. and 1t is six days
before the next mail. That is all 1 have
10 say"
Judge Sllliman says: MY resignation
was dropped In the post office a week age
today. just before left for Hilo."
George ID. Gear says: My name went
10 Washington endorsed by prominent at
torneys OF Honolulu, in addition to the
Judges Of the Circuit Court"
Following the Interview the Star made
this appropriate comment:
II Is matter OF surprise that either
Judge Humphreys or Judge Silliman
should have lent themselves to what must
be looked upon as snap judgment in the
matter Of q successor TO Judge Silliman.
Judge Humphreys says without Cqu.vo-
cation that he sent his endorsement OF
a successor TO Judge Silliman simultane-
ously or practically so. with the sending
OF the resignation ,uat made success
sor necessary, and practically two weeks
before any other recommendation or ap-
| pllcation could be made. Judge Sillimar
lent himself to the scheme by Withholding
the fact Of his resignation so that the
two weeks advantage could be given 70
I particular candidate. The question Is no
/ of the worth OF fitness OF the candidate
lendorsCd. IL Is the manner OF the who'll
scheme. Judge Suliman has no more in
terCst in having an able man on tn,
bench than the rest Of the community has
Their zeal in this matter must therefor
lbe taken as the result OF personal in
terest. There Is no reason why the!
should not have preference In the mat
ter. But the ordinary spirit of fair pla.
would prevent them taking advantage o
their judicial positions &c further the
personal preferences in a public matte
jas against the whole community. In par
~ politics such Clandcstine advantag
might not so strongly provoke protest
but this is not n matter Of party polite.
UNLESS Judge Humphreys IS striving I
create n personal party. il Is certainl
not IN consCranCe with public ideas @
. judicial demearor. And Judge Hum
lphreys himself. az the Republican con
lvention I'm May last. PUBLICLY rcbuke
Judge Smith o. H.lo for appearing in
: party convention. But here he a. praC
: ticing doubtful political methods frol
the bench. and able 20 apply them bccaus
he Is on the bench. Doubtful polite;
methods" IS said advlscdly. because whc
. Senator Clark Of Montana secretly ser
his resignation to the lieutenant governc
OF his state for the express purpose
forestalling the appointment Of his SUI
cessor. his action was all but UNIVERSAL
q rcprobatcd. But where Is the differenC
between the action of Senator Clark an
10 that Of Judges Siniman and Humphreys
except that Clark was engaged in pur,
~ political game, openly fighting ope
Ic1emies, While the Judges are covert
taking advantage OF their judicial pos
ton as against a community not avail
that they are engaged in political schen
Ing.