Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-08-16

During political campaigns par
tisan newspapers dish out to their
readers a brand of dope that is an
insult to average intelligence. To
one who makes a study of such
things, the question as to whether
or not this variety of advocacy adj
vances the cause which it is in
tended to benefit, is an interesting
problem which he can not solve.
A notable instance of this cam
paign method was contained in the
Boise Statesman a few days since.
That paper, violent Gooding organ,
started out to find something to say
against Judge Stockslager, the dem
ocratic candidate for governor, OPP
posing Gooding Apparently, being
unable to find anything in his rec
ord on which he could be con-
demned, it seized upon the report
that Judge StoclSslager had declar-
ed that he would not resign from
the bench, pending the election,
and proceeded to deliver to him a
severe lecture on his disregard of
judicial ethics and political etiquet.
1t cited the plank in the demo-
cratic platform declaring in favor of
removing the judiciary from the
pale of politics and, methaphorical-
ly speaking, rolled its eyes to heav-
en- and held up its hands in holy
horror at this early exhibition of
bad faith on the part of the demo-
cratic candidate ALI of which was
transparency insincere; the merest
burlesque stage bus ness. y
In the first place, this pretended
solicitude for the niceties of cam
paign ethics, the eternal fitness of
things, is a trifle nauseating; in
view of the fact that politics is not
parlor game, nor is it governed by
the rules of procedure obtaining at
a five O'CLOCK pink tea. Yet no
one can be made to believe that
Judge Stockslagcr is going to be
guilty of any act during his can
vass that will reflect dishonor on
the bench. He has done nothing of
the kind heretofore, commands uni
versal respect; so it is, therefore,
somwehat puzzling to comprehend
what the Statesman hopes to ac-
complish by issuing that kind of a
dope sheet.
But its attempt to show bad faith
with the platform, is the rankest
case on record of placing the cart
before the horse, of confusing cause
and effect. The democratic enun.
citation of party policy is to take
the judiciary out of politics, by
having a separate election foi
choosing judges, so that polite:
will have as little influence as pos
sible in their selection; which doe.
not apply in the remotest degree t,
Judge Stockslager's gubernatoria
candidacy. He is about to retir,
from the bench, and this declaration
refers to one who is seeking judicia
honors. Nor is this merely conform
ing to the letter of the clause; it
spirit is in no wise outraged.
AS matter of fact, in order t
entirely fulfill his trust, Judg
Stockslager should serve his full
term. He has unfinished work t
do, work with which he lis famil
lar, that no new man could do s.
well. And, speaking of a neN
man, one whom Governor Good
ing would appoint; is any one S
simple as hope for a momen
that such appointment would b
uninfluenced by political motives
1t is quite clear, that, in order t
give practical application of tn
democratic judicial plank, Judg
Stockslager should hold on to hi
job and thus prevent Governo
Gooding from violating this demo
cratic principle.