Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-04-19
Trick Of on-Partisanship Judiciary Tried on
Balance Of County Ticket Causes
General Upheaval.
Voters Of Cook County Assert Right to Use
Judgment in Choosing Their
Judiciary.

The note of warning sounded by The
Chicago Eagle against the attempt of
cabals and coterics To control the ap-
preaching elections and To dictate to
the people of Cook County the men for
whom they shall vote for county offices
of great Importance. has been taken up
in no uncertain manner by the public
and the press of Chicago.
or all the offices To bc filled by the
votes of the people of Cook County In
the coming election the Judiciary is
the most important, because II Is III
the courts that tile right of the people
in all matters public or personal must
he ascertainod. defined and sustained.
There are to be eight members of the
bench Of Cook County elected this fall.
and The Eagle discovered in connection
with this election a woll.dctincd plan
tn deprive the people of their fundn-
mental rights in the selection of their
own judiciary.
4 "nonpartsan" judiciary is the
catch.word upon which those who had
the idea we'll developed of controlling
the bench in this county hoped to oh.
tain the support of public sentiment for
their schemes.
The Bar Association primary scheme
was not the only one of its kind In
volved. The Bar Association has nj
ways had u word to- say. and rightfull!
so. In the matter Of judicial nomina
tiOns. but as some of our daily xOntem
poraries have well said. that word
should properly come in the line OF
suggestion AMI not of dictation.
But there have been other influences
at work in the matter Of the Judicia
campaign, which, while they are jus
AS potential for evil as the arrogatiOi
Of dictatorial power by the Bar Asso
citation are different as to the method
and ultimate design.
Some of these influences upon popula
elections come through channels form
cd for sinister purposes. Others com
through the medium Of alleged reform
organizations built up Ostensibly 70
good ends, but really directed throug
the efforts of the officers of the same I
the attainment Of personal aggrandizt
ment and pecuniary benefits.
So IL Is that IN the ease OF the attemp
Of n clique Of members 0f the Chicag
bar To dictate judicial nominations 70
next falls election parallel ease will
that created by the attempted dicta
tiOn Of other self-electcd censOrs Of pub
liz and political action In other fields o
public politics
\ "non.partisan" idea In politics Is M
insult ~ the people Of any community
I'ar'isanship means the belief %
citizens in certain principles of public
policy, In which enough thinking people
believe, 10 have an influence In the clec
ilon OF those empowered to administe
the affairs Of government.
This definition shows that the idea o
parrlsanShlp Is II wide one, takes in th'
exercise OF the function Of judgmen
in the average citizen. and Is upol
these same grounds that The Eagle ha
always advised against the counsc
and advice Of intcrloplng, long-eared
rubbcr-nccked individuals, who max
up organizations for the reform no
only Of parties ana politics, but Of al
humanity, aud who, If their tactic
happen To fool the public In II campaign
only manage 10 make n frightful mes
Of all they undertake 10 handle on
reform basis, The people are educate
enough honest enough and patriot
enough as a whole to attend to thcl
own business In the matter of Self.goI
eminent ami public service.
They need no clique composed q
self-ScckcrS, either in the field Of il
dIclal elections or any other field q
public policy or economies, in whic
the welfare Of the entire communit
may be Interested
%6~