Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-10-28
NON-PARTISAN JUDICIARY

ADDRESS 10 THE . VOTERS OF
THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL
DISTRICT.
To the Voters of the Seventh Judi.
cial District:
The feeling in Minnesota in favor Of
a non, partisan judiciary is strong and
constantly gaining strength in pqpu.
lar, favor. This was emphasized when
one Of the political parties of the state
recently nominated for reelection two
Justices of the supreme court. of the
opposite party, and declared in favo,
Of law looking to non BIPARTISAN
judiciary. In accepting this nomina.
ton, these supreme court judges OK.
pressed their approval of the contem.
plated legislation.
Ever since its formation in 1865,
the people Of the Seventh Judicial
District have Insisted upon keeping
the election of our judges out of poll.
tics, and no candidate of q partisan
convention has ever been elected there
In. Democrats, republicans and popu.
lists have united in support of Judges
McKelvy, Collins, Baxter and SearIe
at successive elections. In 1856, j. r.
Williams, Ct Fergus Falls, a respected
citizen and able lawyer. sought and
secured the holding of republican
judicial convention, and was nomin.
ated republican candidate to succeed
Judge L. L. Baxter. The latter an.
nounced himself as a non partisan
candidate, and was elected by nearly
four votes to one, receiving q major.
ity IF 2, 981; and partisan Judi.
ciary became fixed fact In the Sew.
enth judicial District, with one re.
publican and one emocratic judge.
Eighteen years have elapsed. The
memory of that rebuke has become
dim, and again q movement has been
inaugurated for partisan Judiciary.
With no public demand or request,
John Mason Of Fergus Falls, an.
nounoed himself q candidate at the
late primary election for the republi.
can nomination. w. +. Valentine,
i of Long Prairie, stranger In the dis.
trict., fled a certificate us demo.
cratic candidate. There were no otbe,
aspirants, and these gentlemen will &c
upon the ballot at the general cleo.
tion as the candidates Of the repju iii:
can and demcratic parties, although
there was no demand for them in
either party.
In view Of this effort to set aside q
time honored custom Of forty years
standing, q meeting was held a,
Moorhead on the 9th inst, for the
purpose of considering the situation.
After full discussion it was decided to
organize a non-partisan judiciary
league. The following officers were
elected: President, Il. N. Bruce, OF
Otter Tail county; Vice President, 81.
Rasmussen, of Moorhead; Secretary,
D. W. Meeker, of Clay county; Trea.
surer, Peter Geek of Clay comfy.
It was further decided that this or.
ganization should be a permanent one,
and that its purpose be a permanent
one, and that its purpose and object
would be to advocate and use its best
efforts to secure the election of non
partisan judges for the Seventh Judi
cial District. The Independent candi-
dacy of Hon. L. L. Baxter, who has
occupied the b nch for eighteen
years, to the great satisfaction Of the
people of the district, was unani-
mously endorsed, and it was voted
that an address be issued to tho citi-
zens Of the district calling upon them
to support the candidacy of Judge
Baxter, and to repudiate and stamp
out this effort to introduce partisan
ship into the election of our judges.
Pursuant to these instru otions this
address is Issued, and wereby call
upon all republicans, democrats
populists and other citizens who favor
the maintenance of non. partisan judi
ciary to vote for Hon. L, L. Baxter,
the independent non-partiean candi-
date.
The following committees were ap-
pointed to assist in their several coun-
ties in carrying out the objects of the
league.
Becker-C. M. johnson, John
Hurley.
Benton-Herman Berg, G. A.
Hunck.
Clay-C. A. Nye. G. S. Marden.
Douglas-A. o. Felt, L. j. Brown.
Mile Lacs-W. 8. Foster, q. R..
Mallette.
Morrison-N. Richardson, Peter
Vernig.
Otter Tail-W. p. Bayley, Anton
Thorn nann