Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-10-11
MON PARTISAN" DEMOCRACY.

The populist leaders in this circuit
have placed in nomination for the
Office of circuit judge, Levi MCGEE, of
Rapid City, have christened him a
democratic" candidate, and say there
is no politics.: in it. It is persistently
urged by the supporters of Judge
MCGEE that there is no politics in this
election, 1t is possibly true that the
Judiciary should be removed as far as
possible from partisan politics, and it
may likewise be truthfully said that we
shall probably never reach that point
when this office will be entirely re
moved from the realm of politics.
However this may be, the so-ca!led
democratic" nominee is scarcely in Il
position to raise a non-p partisan cry.
During his term of Office he has been
q most active partisan, has been in fact
the bone and sinue of the populist
party in this county, has attended all
populist conventions and caucuses, has
made partisan populist speeches,
stands high in the councils of the pop
ulist party and, in fact, has done
everything in his power to defeat the
republican party, both in county, state
and national elections. He never
scratches his ticket, and never advises
it except to those belonging to the re-
publican party. When,the republicans
in this county succeeded in spite of
his most arduous and strenuous
efforts, in overthrowing populism last
fall, and gave the republican ticket Il
handsome majority, both county, state
and national, Judge MCGEE charged
the republicans with having purchased
enough votes to carry it for Mckinley
and the republican ticket. He said
that we should never have another
presidential election, but that we had
established an empire, and later he
spoke of the Inauguration of the late
lamented President Mckinley "as the
coronation of William l." But we need
not go beck SO far in the political his
tory of this circuit to ascertain the po-
litical character of Judge MCGEE. In
his speech at Hot Springs, accepting
the nomination for circuit judge for
this circuit he said:
"Bryan was right in 1896 and 1900
and is still right. If conditions were
properly adjusted it would be possible
for all to have money and non to owe.
The trusts water their stock and paw
dividend p1pOn oV,orno,,c1r ;oQnkoI
valuations. They fitch these dividends
from the people, and while the trusts
are piling up their profits, the people
are not accommodating for aid age. All
republican papers are busy nowadays
apOlogizing for the trusts or giving an
excuse for them or seeking to Justify
them. The greatest financial institu-
lions today are supporters of the
republican party"
He is one of the bitterest partisans
in the state except when he wants re.
publican votes. He is a professional
politician, "a dyed in the wool'
list, and it is hardly in keeping with
the "eternal fitness of things'' that he
should. be elected to an office, which
his followers say is not a political one,
= or that the republican or democrat
s$should be expected to vote for him.
The populists realize that it will great
" strengthen their party to have a
populist circuit judge, and in this they
have an eye for the election to be held
year from this fall, when our county
officers, state officers, members of the
state legislature and members of con-
eress are to be elected, and doubtless
have in mind the fact that the leeisla-
ture to be elected at that time will be
called upon to choose q United Stated
States senator. II this election is an
important one from q populist stand
point, it is certainly of equal political
Importance to the republicans of this
circnit. We won in 1900 and we can
not afford to lose in 19O1.-Rapid City
Journal.