The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-02
REPUBLICAN VOTERS
CAN SAVE JUDICIARY
Democratic Nominations Offer
Chance to Secure Non.par.
tlsan District Bench

Ramsey county Republican voters
have the opportunity of a start in the
direction of naking the district bench
of the county uon-partisan. The state
Barsassociation has already declared
for a bipartisan judiciary, both IN
the supreme and district courts, ana
the Democratic state convention Went
on record both in it's resolutions and
in its nominees, in favor of eliminating
partisan politics from consideration i'll
naming candidates for the supreme
bench.
While both the great parties have
made nominations for the district
bench in Ramsey county, there remains
the opportunity for the voter. by vot-
ing for the two Democratic candidates
for the judgeship, to put the district
court on non-partisan basis.
In Judge George L. Bum and in
Thomas D. O'Brien the Democrats
have named men of unquestioned legal
ability and of the highest type of citl-
Zenship.
Their election would give the district
bench but two Democrats of positive
political views. Judges H. r. Brill, O.
B. Lewis and Grier M. Orr are parti-
san Republicans while Judge William
Louis Kelly, usually counted a Demo-
crat in politics, has not for many years
had party affiliations. Judge Bum is
therefore the only pronounced member
of the Democratic party now on the
bench and with his reelection and that
Of Mr. O'Brien, the political complexion
of the bench would be about equally
divided between the parties.
Would Save Judiciary
There is a strong movement among
individual Republicans to remove the
judiciary as far from politics as pos
sible by the selection of the two men
who have been nominated by the Dem
ocrats. An instance of the trend Of
public sentiment in this direction was
the pubic declaration by Hugh T.
Halbert, president of the Roosevelt
Republican club, that he intends to
support Judge Bum for reelection,
and his consequent defeat for posi-
tion.-on, the Republican county execu-
tive committee. Mr.. Halberts manly
stand has been widely discussed and
favorably commented upon by Repub-
licans, and James E. Markham, the
Republican candidate for judge, who
succeeded in preventing his appoint
mentsto the committee, has reaped
harvest of pointed criticism for his po-
sition. Scores of Republican attorneys
have taken the position assumed by
Mr.. Halbert and while their views are
not widely advertised, their influence
will be just as effective in the cam
paign.s
HalIam a Politician
The personal claims of Messrs. Mark
ham and Hallam to the judicial office
are based solely upon party service:
Mr.. Halfam is. a politician pure, and
Simple-the machine nominee for the
district bench. He was very active in
the pre- convention gubernatorial cam
paign, standing at the front of the Cell
Inns wing. of the party. He has not a
large personal acquaintance in the city
or rcountgs4among the voters, but the
machine men took care of him in the
primary fight and he ran far ahead of
his ticket with the help of the party
workers. His election to the bench
would simply give recognition and re-
ward to asman who knows the game of
politics. His name has not been con-
spieueHsiye before the people as prac-i
titiener at the bar.
How Markham Started
His running mate, Mr.. Markham, is
known to the people only as Repub-
Gcan who had the good fortune to Sc
cure the nomination of his party for
alderman from the Seventh ward and
who found his way from the council to
the corporation attorneys office easy.
Hesheld the Office for several years and,
as a strict party man, made himself
agreeable to the leaders of the organi-
cation. He has undoubted political
gifts, but has never given the least
evidence. of the possession of those
qualities which go to make a judge. His
election would only add another Re-
publican member to the bench.
There is evident in all discussions re-
garding the candidates for the bench a
disposition to go over and beyond the
mere political aspect of the fight and
eliminate the partisan element.
On Non Partisan Basis
ELECT two Democrats this year." said
a lawyer who is not unknown in Re-
publican circles, ''and the future of the
Ramsey county bench will be settled
on non-p partisan basis. It is little
less than disgraceful that the judiciary
should be dragged through the dust of
kitchen and pot-house campaign.
Even if the Democratic nominees were
not the high minded and. learned men
they are I would vote for them this
year in the Knowledge that their cleo
ton would take the bench out of poll
tics for many years"