Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-06-09
IS WHITE JUDGE?
EDITOR MONTGOMERY RAISES
THE QUESTION.
The Brany Editor Of the Sumner Herald
Questions the Legality Of Judge Whites
Seat on the Bench Of the State Supreme
Court.


Questions the Legality Of Judge Whites
Seat on the Bench Of the State Supreme
| Court.
Judge w. H. White-yclept the"War
Horse" because OF his CORY name, his
dilating nostrils, and his habtual pose
as a rampant charger,-has lately come
to the succor OF a gab-stricken nation
has told us exactly what we should do
to be saved. In the early period OF the
campaign OF 1896, the utmost activity
on the part of the republican press fail
ed to wiring from him more than four
interviews" per week on the subject of
democracy with relation to imperialism
But now he has surprised the public by
voluntarily rushing into print, unwind
ing a column or two of nonpariel and
garnishing it with his own portrait.
When the impulse first stirred him he
was at the capital, in the midst of pro-
found ponderment on the all-important
case OF John Doe vs.. Richard Roe; but,
ever faithful to the call Of duty, he forth
with quit the bench, boarded the first
boat for the town on Elliott Bav, and at
once sought the P.-I. office-solely for
the purpose of informing the world that
he had come to the solemn conclusion,
all by himself, that it were an unusual
punishment-and, therefore, clearly un.
constitutional-to no longer hide his can.
die under bushel, to withhold from the
country hiS wisdom, his latest views on
democratic faith and practice.
He was moved to this act doubtless
through the inability of the postal SER
vice to carry individual answers to the
mighty food of inquiries pouring in upon
him from all points of the compass. And
now that be has renowned the party,
has removed from it's helm lis Ulyssean
hand, we can but wonder how it will
ever manage to wag along. 1t is a situa-
ton that dan be contemplated only with
horror and despair. Surely, our "War
Horse" is the Warwick Of our times /;
and just how our lawyers from time to
time can gaze upon his rayonant glory,
withouttte aid Of smoked glass, must
continue to remain mystery.
But be that as it may, our mighty
bencher has concluded that if the princi-
Piles enunciated by Jefferson and Jack
son are to be preserved, it can only be
done by the election Of republicans-and
hence he goes to the party of Hamilton
to find democracy undefled! All of
which-while merely amusing, consider
ed by itself-serves to recall wildly to
mind the circumstances under which,
if the court please, Our Honorable ''War
Horse" came to be given the position he
now occupies on the supreme bench Of
this state. In the Session Laws OF 1901,
Chapt. CXLVIII, Sec. 2, the following
language will be found: THE governor
is hereby authorized to appoint one
from each of the dominant parties"
Sec. provides for the appointment of
two additional supreme court judges, to
hold office until the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in October 1902.
Now, it is plain to the simplest intel
ligence that the intent of this law was to
provide bipartisan appointment; and
Judge White, by his own confession,
accepted the Office in absolute violation
OF the spirit OF the foregoing act, since
he admits that both before and at the
time of his appointment, he was not only
not in sympathy with the democratic
party, but was in fact believer in re.
publican policies as then and now advo-
Gated. Does anyone doubt the applica-
ton of this criticism to his attitude at
the time OF his appointment, let him
read Judge Whites latest interview, in
which he by wholesale denounces demo.
cratic principles aud also their ablest
defender, William J. Bryan. The prin-
ciples of the party have not changed
since that time, and hence Judge White
not only accepted his appointment to
Office in bad faith but is now holding it
in plain violation of the spirit-if, in
! ucctl, uOt tuc lctlcT-OI ullc dCC creating
it.
The Herald makes no profession to
being versed in the law, but in view OF
these facts, why might not a writ quo
warranto lie to test Judge Whites right
to continue to hold his present position?
There is certainly proper matter for
the governor and the attorney general
to investigate; though such suggestion
ought not to have been necessary, for
had Judge White possessed manly sem
sibilility-or even a dull sense of pro-
priety-he would have accompanied his
recent interview with resignation of
position. Indeed. were he 1.-THE the
man he boasts himself TO be he would
not have accepted the appointmentin
the first place.