The log cabin Democrat., 1908-03-19
JUDGE CARROLL }. WOOD.
Judge w. N. Norton of Forrest City, one of the Ablest Lawyers of the State, Gives Strong Endorse ment cf Judge Wood for
 Associate Justice.

Associate Justice.
 The position of Supreme Judge is
 the most important in our State A
 bad governor is bad. bad legislature is bad. But if we have bad Supreme Court, God help us!
 If the governor or the legislature do wrong, the Supreme Court can extend
 over us the shield of the Constitution. But if the Supreme Court does wrong, there is no redress. It is the final arbiter of our lives, our liberties and our fortunes.
 We may experiment with the other offices. We may even turn them over to demagogues and still get along. But for the Supreme Court we must choose only tried men, men who we know are fitted for the place.
 Anybody with good education. up right character and fair intelligence can discharge the duties of the other offices. But a Supreme Judge must have peculiar qualifications He must be learned in the law. He must be impartial He must have the jul dicial temper; that is, the power to free himself from all personal feelings toward litigants and counsel and to look only to law and justice. It is not everyone learned in the law that makes a good judge. Many lawyers have gone on the bench with great reputation and left it diScredt- ed. A man must be born for the of flee. And then he must hold it long | enough to become proficient in the dis
 charge of the duties
 You cannot make a good judge in a day. The longer he stays on the bench the better judge he will be, if he is made of the right stuff. Our people have been wise enough to see
 that and among us the tenure of judi cial office has always been practically during good behavior.
 This is especially important on the supreme bench. A Supreme Judge
 should be very learned in the law.
 If he makes mistake there is no | remedy. And there is no law school to compare with a place in that court The abIest lawyers of the State are all the time pouring out their learn l ing before it and showing it every view in which a question can be consid- | cred. Unless a man is hopelessly dull,
  | that he is there
 Whom shall we support in the pres ent race? We have a judge who has
 made his record. It is down in black
 and white for all men to reai. A good judge must be not only learned in the law, he also must be honest, fearless, impartial, industrious. Which of these qualities does Judge Carroll D. Wood lack? If he is not learned in the law, who wrote the long series of able opinions that appear in his name? That he is honest is ap- parent. Deciding the most important cases where corruption would mean wealth, he is almost as poor as when he worked his way through our State University, getting an education under disadvantages that would have appall- ed most men. That he is fearless is evident in his opinions, where he de- cides always according to what he be- | lieves to be the law, regardless of popular clamor on the one hand or cor
 porate greed on the other That is impartial, knowing neither friend nor foe when on the bench every law yer practicing before him Will admit That he is industrious the vast array | of his opinions demonstrates beyond question.
 His opponent says he has held office l too long. When did it become dis grace that mans fellow citizens should continue to honor him with | their confidence? And, except during the few years that he was prosecuting attorney, his service has been all upon | the bench and therefore a preparation | for his present duties.
 His opponent talks about the salary he has received. At no time has his | salary been half what he could have earned at the bar. He has given his | labor to the State for less than half the compensation that private persons would have given him had he worked | for them.
 His training for the position has been ideal. He was prosecuting at