The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-09-19
THE JUDICIAL DOMINATION.
Another Attempt To e prive Republicans
Of o Candidate For Judgeship.


Of o Candidate For Judgeship.
An instructive object lesson of the
necessity for nomination OF candidate
by direct vote Of the people, 10 furn.
ished by proceedings of the judicial
conventions representing this district.
A few men, actuated by personal NAL.
ice against an available and receptive
republican candidate for the judicial
nomin alton, have succeeded in SO
manipulating the matter that no prop.
er nom;n alton was made by the con.
ventious Of 1902 and 1904, and there
was such a mixup in the recent Judi
cial convention in Helena that the
legality Of the proceedings is ore
VIVA, in doubt.
-Four years ago, the delegates from
Chouteau county and Valley county
met in judicial convention and nomin-
ated j. j. Kerr, Of Valley county, az
the republican candidate for Judge Of
this judicial district. the nomin alton
being effected by a com bin ation be.
tween the Valley county delegation
and a small minority Of the Chouteau
county men,. 1t vas known at the time
that Mr.. Kerr was not an aspiraut
for the nomination, and shortly
after it was made i, was declined by
the nominee. No provision had been
made for filing th- vacancy, and
there was consequently no republican
candidate for the judgeship on the
party ticket.
AT the judicial convention held at
Billings, Of which 3. D. Phillips was
chairman, it developed that doubt ex.
listed as to whether there would be a
vacancy in the Office 0: Judge OF this
district, no call for an election of
judge having been made in the gov.
errors proclamation. The delegates
were induced not to make a nomina.
ton, but to leave the matter in the
hands Of a committee TO be appointed
by Mr.. Phillips, this committee to get
legal advice as to whether a vacancy
would occur in the judgeship Of this
district, and il there should be a va.
cancy, 20 nominate a republican can.
did ate for it.
The committee named for this pur.
pose by B. D. Phillips consisted Of
Messrs. W. T. Stephens, of Valley
county: and NJ. j. Healy and c. n.
Pray, Of Chouteau. A few days later,
Mr.. Stephens gave his proxy to NJ. j.
Healy, who thus controlled two votes
oat of three, and had the entire latter
io his Own hands. No effort was
made to ASCERTAIN whether or mo- a
vacancy in the Office Of Judge would
exist at that time, and no nomin alton
was filed by this committee. II sub.
seQuently developed tina. an election
for judge of this district should have
been held.
AT the judicial convention held in
Helena on September Is, the trickery
Of four years ago was again in evi
dence. The Valley county delega tes
had agreed to vote as a unit, with the
proviso that j. j. Kerr, who was one
of the delegates, should not be bound
by this agreement. At a caucus of the
Chouteau county delegates, some of
them positively refused to be bound
by any rule that might be adopted by
the majority, and TO prevent any fr!c.
ton or i'll feeling the matter was post.
poned until another caucus could be
held ia the evening. There was moi a
full attendance at this second caucus,
aad 1t was agreed to bring up the
matter ia the state convention hall
when all the delegates we're present.
The result Of these delays vas ID at the
judicial convention Of this district was
not held until after the close of the
state convention, when there
was much noise and confusion in the
hall.
The judicial convention organized
with John G. Sullivan, Of Chouteau
county, a! chairman, and w. L. Ste.
phens, Of Valley county, as secretary.
The first ballo. for the nomin alton Of
candidate for Judge resulted: j. j..
Kerr, Is: F. +. S,ranahan, Is, with
one ballot blank. Mr.. Kerr claimed
that he had no, cas, his vote, and
upon being given the opportunity
marked his ballot for Mr.. Stranahau,
thus giving the latter - votes, Accord
ing to The railing Of the chair. Obi.c.
tion "as made TO this ruling by B. ID.
Phillips, who threatened the chair
with personal violence, a threat
which caused the convention to break
u ia disorder and adjourn. \ rump
i, is understood, was sub
held, but the result of its
proceedings is unknown.
The opinion OF decent republicans
reg arding these undignified and tricky
methods Is q matter which each can
q vouooC Tor h;roco1R C,,h a:--