The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-26

OF the representatives Of the people,
but one or two self-constituted man
ipulatOrs, the viciousness becomes all
the more Obtrusive. As general
thing, however, nominations thus made
are satisfactory. and for two reasons:
The ordinary public Office can be filled
by an ordinary man, and the ordinary
candidate for Office nominated under
this system Is competent to hold the
office. Under this system the candi-
date is asked only two questions,
namely. do you want the job?" and,
can you deliver the gOods?" Now.
to some people, 1t seems u little out of
place that such questions should be
asked an aspirant for a position upon
the highest tribunal of the state. 1t
shocks their sence Of prOpriety. not
to say iecency. that man should
land himself in such position by
means of petty political machine
OF his own construction. 1t will be
retorted that every one of the former
members of the court was placed upon
the court in this manner, but l answer
that that Is not true and the political
because, while the candidates for the
SouiC uoNC always UCCu CuOScn Tie
convention system, something besides
their desire for the Office and the
number of delegates they could COM
mand has been considered.
The manner in which Judge Knaufs
nomination was brought about is
matter OF public notoriety and needs
no discussion. Judge Engerud is only
one of thousands of the citizens of
North Dakota whose sense of propriely
was shocked by the proceedings. 1t
is we'll known that the man in control
of the jamestown convention was and
is utterly unfit to select, as he did,
candidate for the supreme bench
because. in the first place. he does
not understand what the qualifications
of such man should be, and in the
second place, If he did understand it,
he would care no more for the quail
fications of the candidate for that Of
flee than he would for those of can
didate for any other Office in his power
to give away. He would give equal
consideration to the qualifications Of
8 candidate for the supreme bench and
o ia candidate for say, janitcr at the
state capitol. The question in his mind
would be whether the candidate had
a certain amount of support and
whether such support as needed in
order to bring about the final result
desired.
Politics has nothing to do with this
question. 1t is not whether OF a par
tisan or non-partisan judiciary All
the arguments along that line are
wasted. 1t is simply matter for the
people to decide, not as partisans, but
as citizens of this commonwealth,
whether they desire that the integrity
of our supreme court be maintained
and whether they will sanction that
changes and Encouragement of the per-
sonell of that court be made by a
political boss, utterly without refer
ence to the qualifications or fitness
of the candidates for seats in the tri-
bunal.
1t, therefore, seems to me that
Judge Engerud is justified in his posi-
ton and that he has shown himself
not only high minded Judge, watch
full of the dignity and standing of the
court, but good citizen. He, first Of
all, has stepped forward and acne.
what every citizen should have done
and should be doing. He has bark
ened to the voice of civic duty and
shown himself ready to sacrifice his
most valued possession, If necessary,
his position on the supreme bench,
that the honor of the court may be
maintained unimpaired.
B. G.. Skulason.