The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-10-22
OUR JUDICIAL TICKET,

The most important offices to be
filled on the county ticket this year
are the four judicial positions. The
Democratic party Of the state has
taken advanced ground on the ju-
dietary. 1t has declared squarely for
non-partisan bench. The attitude Of
the Democratic party of this county
is the same, and were it not for our
primary election law which makes in
dependent and non-partisan nominal
lions impossible, the Democrats Of this
| county would no doubt have nomi-
mated a non-partisan judicial ticket.
Not having been able to enforce their
views as to keeping the bench out of
politics by making non-partisan nomi-
| nations Democrats should act intelli-
gently on this question at the general
election. We still have chance to
bring about non-partisan bench in
this county. There are six district
judges in Hennepin county, of which
four are now Republicans and two are
Democrats. Both che Democratic
judges, Brooks and Pond, are up for
reelection. Should they be defeated
this year it would leave the bench
without Democratic Judge. Should
they be reelected together with one
other Democratic candidate it would
make the bench here evenly divided
between the parties. Most people who
have no selfish interest in the matter
will admit that the bench should be
kept out of politics. The two sitting
Democratic judges are admitted on all
sides to be good judges. The Republi-
cans have nominated candidates
against them because there were Re-
publican lawyers who wanted the posi-
lions, and because under our primary
election law there was no way in
which these ambitious lawyers could
be prevented from exercising their
self-seeking methods.
The Bar Association of this county,
which is Overwhelmingly Republican,
has had two meetings for the purpose
| of indicating its choice of the voice
candidates. Through the efforts of
the friends of those candidates whom
it was well known the bar would not
endorse and through the timidity of
the members of the bar no action was
taken at those meetings. Had formal
action been taken by the bar there is
no doubt that both Judge Brooks and
Judge Pond would have been recon-
mended for reelection, although the
bar is Republican four to one. There
can be no doubt that voters who be-
lieve in keeping politics out of the ju-
dietary and who have the interests of
the public at heart will vote for both
Brooks and Pond. They deserve to be
elected on their records. They will re-
ceive thousands of Republican votes
and if the Democrats are careful to
vote for them there is an excellent
chance for their election. To make the
bench evenly divided one more Demo-
crat should be elected. In making, that
choice Democratic voters will have lit
tie difficulty in selecting Mr.. Barton.
He is capable lawyer, clean man,
and deserves the full support of his
party.
We are sorry to say that we can
not advise any one to vote for the
| other candidate upon the ticket He
is not only not professionally fitted for
the position, but he is lacking in all
the essentials of judge. There are
hundreds of Democrats who will not
vote for him. Many of these will vote
| for three Democrats and stop at that.
There is danger in this weakness on
the Democratic ticket, for if Demo
Gratis vote for three Democratic candi-
dates and scatter their votes for the
fourth one among the several Repub-
lican candidates, they will be neutral
izing partially their votes for the Dem
ocratic candidates. In that way they
would be voting against the men
whom they desire to have elected. If
Democrats vote for any Republican
candidate they should all vote for the
same one.
Having this feature in view we
should select from the Republican can
didates the one who seems best quail
fled and most deserving of election.
There is one of the Republican can
! didates who because of his qualifica-
tons as lawyer, his character and
i his temperament is peculiarly fitted
for judicial honors. We refer to Judge
Andrew Holt, who has for many years
| served with such general satisfaction
! on the municipal bench. No suspicion
has ever attached to any of his judicial
! acts; no word has been uttered against
him as man. He, like the Demo-
cratic candidates, believes that ill.,
dicial positions should not be made
football for ward politicians to play
with. He not only believes that the
bench should be divorced from active
politics, but he puts his belief into
practice by refraining from taking any
steps to further his own candidacy.
We believe the voters of this county
could do no better than to elect as