The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-24
ELECT JUDGES
BY THE PEOPLE
This Subject is Attracting a Good
Deal Of Attention.
THE VIEWS OF Mr.. POLLARD.
Only two other States Use the System
Now III Operation i'll Virginia.
Mr.. Gordon Agrees With
Mr.. Grinnan.
THE VIEWS OF Mr.. POLLARD.

The suggestion that the Constitution
judges elected by the direct vote OF Inc
people is attracting much attention, es-
pecially among the lawyers.
M. Jno. Garland Pollard, who has re-
Gently made a study OF the State Con-
stitutions, and written a series OF articles.
for the Richmond Times on the
subject, states that his investsa-
lions show that 81 out of 40 States OF the
Union elect all their judges by the people,
while five other States adopted the popu-
lar plan only partially, selecting some
Of the judges by the people and others
through the Governor or Legislature.
Virgnia's plan of selecting her judges
by the Legislature is in vogue only IN
South Carolina and Rhode Island, while
Connecticut and Vermont select a portion
by the Legislature and others by the
people.
THE OBJECTIONS.
Mr. Pollard thinks that many serious
objections can be urged to all of the
three plans Of selecting the judiciary,
but no plan is more Objectionable in it's
practical workings than the plan now
persued in Virginia. Its objections.
in his opinion would not be so great if
VIC bSSlSIdLuIt III lat Sc4tCt u iIlc JutSGS'
but, as a rule, the representative from a
county is, by common consent, allowed to
name the judge Of his county, and the
circuit judge is named by the represent
tatlVeS from his circuit, andSuch IS the
almost inevitable result of the plan.
The fact that all except three States
have abandoned it is sufficient to iusti
fy Virginia in seriously considering a
change Under our Constitution of 1850,
a 11y1p ole ,1 L. tIa
but the Underwood Constitution took
this right from them.
MIR GORDON'S VIEWS.
Mr.. James W. Gordon, Junior member of
the firm of Smith, Moncure & Gordon, who
is taking high rank at thc-15ar as a
practitioner, was asked yesterday what
he thought of the proposition to elect the
Judges of the State by a, direct vote of
the people
Mr.. Gordon said he was rather disposed
to favor the suggestions of Mr.. Daniel
GrinnGn to divide the Judges into
classes anG elect a certain number at
given times, so rs to prevent the oppor-
tunity for combination which are easily
made when all are to be chosen by the
Legislature at once.
Mr.. Gordon thought it might not be
we'll to take the matter out of the hands
Of the Legislature. for the reason that
there are very many men in the State
popular enough to win before the people
who would not make good Judges.
a close friend OF Speaker e.. W. Saun-
ders said last night that while in the
city "Wednesday that gentleman expressed
himself in favor of eecting Judges by the
people in Virginia.
MIR. CABBLL IS OPPOSED.
Hon. James Aston Cabell, prominent
attorney IF this city, and twice mcmDer
of the House of Delegates. does not favor
the proposition to elect judges by a direct
vote of the people.
He said yesterday that he favored some
reforms in our present SYSTEM and thought
il would be wise to have the elections held
at different sessions Of the Legislature, di-
vidinS the judges into classes, and also
preventing the General Assembly from
electing their own members to the bench.
With these reforms inauSurated, Mr..
Cabell thought our present system was
good enough.
MR. ANDERSON FAVORS.
Hon. James Lewis Anderson, eX-mem-
Der of the Legislature and a prominent at
torney of this city, favors the election OF
Judges by the people He said last night
that he had recently talked with a Phila-
delphia lawyer, who said the system
worked well in his State. and that the
Judges were nearly always reelected,
showing that the people were as liable to
keep good men on the bench as the Legs
lature.
Mr. Anderson did not believe that the
people. as rule, would support any but
capable men for judges, if the election
were placed in their hands.