Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-02-14
Last Falls Aspirants and Many Others Are
Backed by Majority of Bar in
Proceedings.
Failure to Call Election of Full Quota Would
Seriously Cripple Cook County's
Courts.
Belief that Danger Of Calling Judicial Pri-
maries in Spring Will Also Be
Avoided.

The Eagle is glad to note that n
strong and vigorous movement was
started last week to place the forth.
coming judicial election upon II clear
and well.defined basis. rendering I'M
possible in the future any such mud
die as converted the last Judicial cam
paign into a fizzle.
This movement 1t Is learned. Is
backed by all the candidates who were
nominated by both the Republican and
the Democratic conventions for Judi.
cial honors last fall.
In addition to the activity of these
men. the movement will be helped
along by the numerous other aspirants
to Judicial honors, who see In the
proposition to elect seventeen Judges
in all an opportunity to crafty high
and laudable ambition; and also by the
overwhelming majority of the bar of
Cook County which, believes In the
necessity OF Il substantial increase In
the number of our Circuit and Superior
Court Judges.
On Saturday last the first practical
steps In this direction were taken
when County Attorney Simms was
served with notice of a mandamus pro-
ceeding In the case. A committee rep
resenting the last years judicial can.
didates referred to above has taken
this phase Of the proceedings In hand
In the mandamus proceeding the posi-
tive assertion is made that II the law
Is to be compiled with provision must
he made for the election Of the full
quota of seventeen Judges.
In last weeks edition Of The Eagle
a synopsis of the grounds upon which
this claim Is made was given, and no.
body has yet appeared who has been
able 10 answer the statements and ar,
guments there set forth.
or course, the strongest argument to
the lay mind that could be advanced
in support Of the proposition to hold
the election for seventeen Judges, In
stead OF five or any other inadequate
number, Is to be found In the fact that
the volume of business In the courts OF
Cook County Is now such as to impera
lively demand an Increase. and n sub
stantlnl one, In the judiciary.
This Is, Of course. due to the natura
growth and Increase In the litigation
OF this city and county.
1t Is a great and prosperous com
munity. and In every communit.
where business Is large and prosperous
there Is bound to be heavy and Away
increasing litigation.
One is the necessary concomitant o
the other.
The mandamus proceedings In behal
OF the aspirants to the Circuit bencl
are to be filed in the name of Angus
Warner, "a taxpayer" A. NJ. Pence
representing the Republican candi
dates. and II. II. Gilbert. representa-,
the Democratic candidates, are the rea
persons behind the move. however
The petition for mandamus will b
directed against County Clerk OlesOn
and the papers have been drawn.
Mr.. OlesOn holds that he should Ger
tify candidates for but fourteen Cir
cult Court judgeships and one SuperlO
Court judgeship. About the Superlo
Court Judge there Is no dispute.
Messrs. Gilbert and Pence hold
however, that the County Clerk should
certify either seventeen Circuit Cour
Judges or but five.
II Is held that II the act of 1901, In
creasing the Circuit Court Judges b,
three, ls invalid, then also are the act
Of 1887 ana 1893, increasing the mum
Der of Circuit Court Judges. invalid
and that the County Clerk. If he doe
not certify for seventeen Judges Il
number which would include the thre
additional Judges claimed, he shoul,
certify for but five judgeshlps.
The attorneys contend that seven
teen Is the true number of vacancies
to be filled. Should the alternative b,
sustained, however, the Cook COUNTY
bench would he most seriously erin
pied, and in addition decisions rem
dercd by the judges elected under tn,
acts OF 1857 and 1893 would he called
into question. Such a catastrophe al
thls would certainly amount to win
II Is 10 be hoped, be avoided by wis,
ana careful procedure on behalf of nj
political parties, and by the Legisla
ture' II action by that body should be
deemed necessary.
should some technically or legal
qlibble throw into doubt the validity
OF the acts and the decisions Of oul
courts for number of years back, the
results would be little, II any, short Of
appalling, the regular business OF the