The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-05-09
a STRONG LETTER FROM REFGs-
L LIcAN WHO REMEMBERS HOW
NON.PARTiSAN (r) DEMO-
Gratis WERE
WHEN THEY WERE IN POWER
THE NoN-RARTISaNJ JUDICIARY
AS NOW ADVOCATED BY
DEMOcRATs
CALLED FORTH THE COMM UNiCA-
TIoN-TAE .6AR" COMES IN
FOR FEW WORDS OF RE-
MEM 6RAEcE.

Editors West Nirginian:
notice that the recent Democratic
state convention, which met in the
CITY Of Charleston, nominated but one
ndidate for Judge of the supreme
Court of Appeals of the State, though
Two Judges are to be elected at the
next general election. That conren-
rion named NJ. H. Dent, of Iaylor
scornty who is now a member OF the
Court, add Democrat we nave
nothing to urge against Judge Dehl
as to his fitness for the high ONCE.
THAT is foreign 10 the purpose OF thls
com munIcation. 7 want to discuss,
briefly. the propriety and reasons
which led the minority political par
ty of the State TO make but one nom
nation The May issue OF Inc Bar
speaks of the Charleston convention
as progress toward securing non-par-
risau Judiciary That publication IS
s,1nposed 10 be the official organ OF
the State Bar Association ana there-
fore entirely free from partisan POI
itics. II is published at Morganto"n,
and is said to be edited by one OF the
faculty of the law department OF 'he
State University. That is another
reason why the ttBar''ershoulds4ll be non
1ar,isan.,. like the Judiciary it ad"o-
Gates because it is well known that
the Democratic party has always ID
sisted that the University should DC
ran or non partisan basis, except
when Republican could be turned
out and a Democra put in his place.
ar when a. Dem ocrat was in and want
ed TO stay in. In other words, "hei-
ever The Republican party has been III
mower, the "non-partisan game mas
been vigorously played. and with d
fair degree of success. Is it possible
that the same old game is being play
ed to non-partisanize our Supreme
Court? When was it discovered tria'
Judges with political views should not
be elected? Who made the dlscoV-
ery? Is any one demanding non
partisan judiciary if SO, who:
The opening sentence of the article
in the bar" above referred co reads;
Readers of the Bar and members Oh
the legal profession throughout the
State are already advised Of the pro
gress of the movement, originating
with the Bar Association. TO secure
uon-partisan Judiciary,
1t is proper to say that the Bar AS
Gociation has never set on foot
movement TO secure non-parelsah
judiciary At the last meeting OF the
state Bar Association held in the CITY
of Parkersburg, Dec. 3o-@l, 1903, the
following resolution was adopteo:
THAT the Executive Council COZ the
Association) be instructed TO urge up
on the respective committees OF tne
leading political parties the hoidlnG OF
separate conventions for judicial nom
nations as recommended by thiSAs-
sociation."
Beyond this the State bar Asso-
citation has never gone. Not q word
about a non-partisan judiciary Not
a reference anywhere to each party
nominating one of two judges TO pc
elected Il does seek. to secure sep
arate judicial conventions; but. point
ical conventions just the same.
see it stated in the public press
that, in obedience to the above reso-
luton, the executive council or the
Bar Association conferred with the
committees of the leading political
parties, and each refused to call sep
arate judicial conventions am not
advised why they refused. But the
Democratic committee called a con
vention to meet in Charleston to Sc
lect delegates-at-1arge to the Demo
cratic national convention and to re
nominate Supreme Court Judges TINS .l'l1
may be said to be a step in the right sl
direction, but it was not separate
judicial convention, such as the Bar
|AssociatIon recommended But who who
conceived the idea of nominal ma tingsone
candidate? And, If we areito arr havesa n
non-partisan lazy hy$was that that
candidate. Democrat tss Dosoar -sends sa..sl
who are insisting on his reform mean