The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-03-08
Watch Western North
Dakota GROW.


Minot is the metropolis. They have
recently organized an association
known as the Northwestern North Da-
kota Federation with J. w. Jacobson
president, and w. R. Vosburg secre-
tary. The letter head tells the story.
On it we find these lines: Represent
ing the agricultural, business and coal
mining interests of Bottineau, Nc
Henry, Mckenzie, Mclean Ward and
Williams counties, that cover an area
almost as large as the combined area
of the five states of Connecticut,
Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey
and Rhode Island;;" "The death rate
in North Dakota is the lowest of any
state in the union;" Northwestern
North Dakota contains the finest agri-
cultural land in the United States
which land is underlaid with sufi-
cfent supply of ignite coal to supply
the United States for one thousand
years." This federation was formed
at Minot on February 22d for the
purpose of setting forth the advan-
tages of North Dakota and to combat
reports of the climatic conditions of
the past winter. Western North Dako-
ia is all right. Her people have plenty
and there is room for thousands
more. The railroads cannot handle
the business. They need hundreds of
miles of branches. The development
of the country is ahead of the railroad
facilities. Two thousand miles of
branches are needed in North Dakota
and double tracks on main lines.
Watch western as well as Northwest
ern North Dakota grow.
OUR JUDICIARY.
A bill has passed the senate creating
new judicial district-the tenth-by
dividing the sixth district on the Mis-
souri, river. 1t seems to be fad at
every session of the legislature to
create new judicial kingdom. OF all
the burdens on the taxpayers of the
state "justice' comes the highest. The
machinery of our courts is debt-cre-
>ating burden that people little realize.
It is safe to say that third of our
taxes-a third of the money we pay
the tax COLLECTORS doled out in and
around the court rooms.
1t may be argued that physical char.
acteristics and the area of the district
are such that district Judge is kept
reasonably busy. Has any complaint
been made thus far? Has our district
Judge complained and declared the
necessity for division of the district?
When 1t comes to the period that
one Judge cannot, with justice to him
self and the people handle the work of
this district possibly we may desire to
break away from the old system of
little judicial districts and adopt the
more modern system of two, three or
four Judge district. which is now in
vogue successfully in the states ofMin-
nesota, Iowa. Wisconsin, Nebraska, Ill
inois, Ohio and other states.
The diyorcing Of politics from the
judiciary as much as possible is one
of the aims of enlightened public
opinion, and this constant curtailing
of territorial limits and numerical In
crease of judicial districts tends to
make more serious the danger of the
judicial boss,'' which is far greater
menace than the political boss.''
The Judge in a measure holds the
power over life, liberty and property.
The people must do business in court
only through regular practising attor-
neys. A weak. yacilating Judge is
much worst than a dishonest attorney.
Under our present system every law
yer practices not only entirely by vir-
tue Of his right or merit but often by
the sunerence Of the court that rides
into power on a political wave. Judges
are human like the rest of us and the
best judges cannot possess too much
merit II there were two judges in a
district of two districts
would there not be greater incentive
to do right, a greater appreciation of
a high ideal, less danger of retrogres.
sion? With two-judge or three
Judge system would we not place a
premium upon judicial discretion and
judicial fairness? Would we not
create a strife for a record of exact
justice. and goodwill. and discourage
all inclinations to belittle the bench
with political jobbery?
We are about to adopt the initiative
and referendum. We are adopting a
radical primary election system. We
are out for reforms of every nature
and II the citizen will stop to consider
he must conclude that in our judiciary