The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-10-09
Within the last few years the


prosecuting attorney-district attor'
ney, in the eastern states-has be-
come tremendous lever in fighting
for the cause of awakened public
thought in many of the great cen
tiers of the country. The few Off
Gals of this class who have stood
upon a basis of separating the prin-
ciples of public right from private
gain have gone high in the esteem
of the voter and have become ma
tional characters because of their
civic courage. The trucker to cor
porate suggestion and the weak
kneed subaltern are still wallowing
in the shadows, and the people
whom they should have served are
equally behind the paddle wheels
of progress.
The duties of prosecuting attor-
ney, as defined by the statutes of
this state, are ito appear for and
represent the county in all criminal
and civil proceedings to which the
county is a party" Those duties
are, therefore, divided into two
classes. AS counsel in civil cases,
the prosecuting attorney should APP
pear for the county as though he
were appearing in his individual
capacity for a private litigant; he
should use his utmost efforts in
such cases to protect the county's
interests. He should be deferred
by no considerations of corporate
influence. He should be biased by
no favoritism except honest favor
itism for the taxpayer, whose SER
want he Is. At times the muckrake
isshis, and he should not hesitate to
use it. At times the carpet-sweeper
is his, and he should get it out and
use it. AT times a semi-judicial
privilege is his, and he should
weigh questions. At all times he
should lean on the staff Of right
eousness in action.
To the class of criminal actions,
however, the principal duties Of the
prosecutor belong. Here he is the
guardian of the lives and the public
safety of the community. Here he
should use the fail on evil-doers;
but he should also recognize his
duties as guardian of the private
rights and wrongs of the individual.
His first object should be to get at
truth There should be no vim
dictivenesS, no attempt to make a
record" of convictions for crime.
Prejudice he should not show. His
duties are simply to inform the
court. 1t is not his to temper JUS
tice or to make it sterner. 1t is his
to create Justice. Fearlessness with
out favor, strict adherence to JUS
tice, an unusual amount of poise
and a great desire to do right with
out bias from any other source
those are the qualities which made
a good prosecutor.
In Bruce Blake, the democratic
nominee, there is the pure ideal, I'M
mixed with contamination from
large interests. There is energy
and regard for law and the people
like that which have made Folk and
Moran and Jerome leaders for the
great common good. Blake is a
young man of virility, uninoculated
by the virus of kowtOwing to the
big fellows. He is in accord with
the trend of the times toward clean
work on the part of otiicialdom and
against collision with the big and
little fellows who are emasculating
public thought and honeycombing
it with Probabilities for the sake
OF decency."
AMr. Blake is a product of Spokane
county The early trend of his
thought was directed by contact
with his father. the late Judge X. b.
Blake. from whom he inherited the
judicial mind and the will to do in
behalf of the general community.
AS graduate Of the law depart
nient of the University of Michigan.
he is amply equipped for the legal