The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-03-24
Edif0ri0I Comment.
The Judicial Situation.

election Gay dppTOhcneS every thihS Coh'
tinues to look good for the republican
nominee, Judge L. b. Des Voignes of
Cassopolis.
Reports from Cass county are to the
effect that he is sure to receive nice
majority there, and the only argument
used against him is the unique one adj
vanced by a contributor signing himself
Republican" In one of the newspapers
of that county: That he is so good
Judge of probate that his county cannot
spare him; that having been elected to
that office, the people should demand
that he continue to perform its duties.
1t is indeed a peculiar condition that a
man should be popular in one position
that anyone should urge that reason
against bis promotion.
In Van Buren, county, all the effort is
being directed towards trying to get sup
port for Judge Carr among the repuoli'
can friends of the local option law,
although Just why any temperance re-
publican should vote against Judge Des
Voignes in favor of Judge Carr on that
issue is beyond our comprehension.
A little over six years ago, Judge Buck
was the idol of the temperance people.
Why? Because they thought he did his
official duty. Now the effort is to con
solidate the temperance vote for Judge
Carr. Has he done more than his duty
ha IF hn
law? If so, he should be condemned
rather than praised. Has any judge on
the bench of this circuit ever done less?
If so, we do not know when. Neither is
there any reason to fear that Judge Des
Voignes will fail to do his duty when he
ascends to the circuit bench. His whole
life record, from the time when as
young man he was an active organizer in
the red ribbon movement, up to the
present time, has been such as to belle
any such suspicion, if he had never ex-
pressed himself. But he has. In his
speech of acceptance he said
Il have not studied very closely the
peculiar conditions that exist in your
county, but in a general way | know
that your special legislation along the
line OF local option has been adhered to
for many years and has become an issue
in your county, townships and homes.
The law is upon your statute books, and
as long as it is part of your jurispru-
dence it should be sacredly recognized
by any circuit Judge who may preside in
your circuit"
Does that sound like the utterance OF
man who is apt to nullify any statute,
or like the honest pledge of an honest
man to do justice to all offenders no
matter what law they may violate?
In addition to this, in personal letters
to a number of Van Buren, county men,
he has pledged honest and just admin
istration of the local option law, in COM
anon with other laws. In fact, man on
the bench who would be so dereict of
duty as to fail to administer all laws
Justly, would be unfit for the place and
unworthy of the support of any party or
any law abiding voter, and we do not
believe those who profess to believe that
Judge Des Voignes might do such an
ignoble thing, realize fully how serious a
suspicion they voice against him. At
any rate, we knoU there is no foundation
for such talk, and we do not believe the
republican voters of Van Buren, county
will say by their votes that they regard
him as unworthy of their confidence.
The nomination for this high Office came
to Judge Des Voignes entirely unsought,
and it was only in compliance with the
unanimous vote of the delegates in the
republican judicial convention that he
accepted the place on the ticket. In
view OF that fact, it would be an unde-
served expression Of lack of confidence,
not only in him, but in the delegates
from The the two counties who selected
him.. to fail to give him the full party
vote.
OF course the local option law is not,
and has never been, party issue. But
the friends of the law should bear in
mind that in Van Buren, county alone,
the strongest republican county in the
lower peninsula of Michigan, has the
local option law been continuously in
force since its enactment by the legisla-
ture. We do not want to see the local
option question made partisan one, but
those friends of the law who are using it
as club to perpetuate a democratic
Judge in this republican circuit are the
ones who are doing the most to force it
into the field OF party politics.
Already movement is on foot as a
democratic worker has expressed it, to
"round up the preachers" for Judge Carr.
We do not believe it can be done. Neither
the clergy nor the pulpits should be
united at any time for the use OF the
politician or the promotion of party in !