Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-09-20
supreme Court Bipartisan 30 Years

Milton F. McClare sad in his speech
| at Jacksonville. in reference 10 Mr..
Cooke;
"ThAe is nothing in his argument
that democrat should be elected .
succeed democrat Judge Scott sue
ceeded republican and so the arg,,-
lnent does not hold. = :; There
| is nothing to the question of a bi-
partisan bench or at least there should
not be-.
These views by Mr. CcClure show
either Il confusion of thought regard
ing the bipartisan principle, which
density would be amazing in candi-
date for Judge of the supreme court.
or he has resorted 10 pettifogging I'M
worthy of Il candidate for judge of the
supreme court.
| Mr.. Mcclure seeks to leave the inn
preston that Mr.. Cooke asks TO be
elected solely because he is demo-
crat. This is not true and Mr.. Nc
Cmre knows that ii is not true.
| There are many good and substan.
tial reasons why Mr. Cooke should be
elected. One reason is because he s
well qualified for the position. An
other reason is that his election is ns-
sential To keeping the supreme court
bipartisan.
| The fact that the supreme court
should be kept bipartisan, the ia Il
that Mr.. Cooke is well qualified for tho
position of Judge of the supreme court
and the fact that his election is neces-
sary in order 10 preserve the political
balance of the court. are all reasons
and good reasons-why Mr.. Cooke
should be elected
The fact. cited by Mr.. Mcclure, that
Judge Scott succeeded a republican
has no bearing upon the present issue,
for the reason that when Judge Scott
was elected, in 1908. there We're at the
time of his election. two democratic
Judges on the supreme bench, namely,
lJuige Bogg and Judge Kicks.
In other words. when Judge Scott
was elected. the supreme court was
Ialready bipartisan; the court at that
thine presented the same political bal
lance that it will present in the event
lof Mr.. Cookies election.
ton. there would be only one demo
cratic judge of the supreme court 10
six republican judges.
Therefore. when Mr.. Mcclure says
Judge Scott succeeded Il republican
land so the argument does not hold.
Mr. McClure's contention is entirely
without point or force
i And if. as Mr.. Mcclure asserts
i"there is nothing TO the question of a
bipartisan bench or at least there
should not be- why is it, that the BIZ
partisan character of the supreme
Icourt of the state of Illinois has been
maintained for 50 long years?
Ever since 1870, when the stale con
stitution was adopted, increasing the
number of judges of the supreme court
from three TO seven. that court ha:
been bipartisan.
During the whole SO years. there
have never been less than two demo
cratic judges on the supreme cour
bench
Mr.. Mcclure has been leaving tn
: impression that TO advocate bi-par.i
: san supreme court. is a new idea.
Mr.. Mcclure has only TO consult the
: history of the supreme court to fine
S that the bipartisan idea which he op
poses so much, has been sustained D!
y the people of Illinois, as applied to tn,
T. supreme court, for SO years.
Nor is it conceivable that tn
e thoughtful citizens of the Fourth dis
:. Itrict will vote to abandon the time
/ honored bipartisan principle merel
/ Ito crafty the ambition of candidat,
n who was nominated by a method "un
e representative of the republicans u
= the district