The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-06-25
AMENDMENT
VICIOUS
LAWYERS DEMAND THAT
PRIMARY LAW BE LEFT
AS 1T WAS.

NlNS AOuHly Dbl ESSOSldlIO1l NdlIS
on Legislature to Again Bring
Judicial Nominations Within
Scope of Primary Adoption of
Resolution Almost Unanimous.
The King County Bar Association,
at meeting in court room No. 5, of
the superior court, passed resolutions,
practically unanimously, calling upon
the coming special session of the legis-
lature to repeal the amendment to the
primary law adopted at the last session
of the legislature taking the nomina-
tion of supreme court Judges from the
operation of the primary law and plac-
ing it in the hands of partisan political
conventions The amendment was de-
nounced as vicious and dangerous leg
islation, passed without regard to the
wishes of the people and against their
best Interests
Criticises Liability Law
A resolution presented by Charles A.
Reynolds was referred to committee
of seven, to be named by President Or
rim Jacobs. of the Bar Association.
The resolution denounced the passage
by the last legislature of the law by
which all corporations, except munich
pal corporations, are exempt from the
payment of damages to collateral heirs
for the death of employees. Mr.. Rey-
nolds charged that this law was passed
in the direct interest of railway corpo-
rations, and that it was done surrepti-
tiously. He asked where Senators
Booth and Palmer were when the city
of Seattle was left open for liability
an the railway corporatios exempted.
" Labor Representatives Heard
A committee headed by F. K Mohr,
from the Central Labor Council, was
admitted to the privileges of the floor
to speak in support of the primary law
resolution which passed. Christopher
w. Horr was also given the privilege
of the floor and made an earnest ad-
dress, pleading for trial of the pri-
mary law in all it's original features.
| DULY one voice was raised in protest
against the passage of the resolution,
that of Harry Ballinger, who said that
he differed with the majority by be-
lieving that political convention was
better judge Of the qualifications of
a member of the supreme bench than
the citizens in general.
| The resolution, as offered by Will
lam Parmelee, and passed, follows:
! The Resolutions - :,
Whereas, the latest legislature of
the state of Washington, acting with
out regard for the best interests of the
people of the state and against their
express wishes, did take the offices of
supreme court justices out Of the op-
Grafton of the direct primary law and
placed their nomination in partisan
political conventions, and;
Whereas, the supporters said
measure alleged as an excuse for the
passage of said act that it was favored
by the bar of the state;
''Now, therefore, be it resolved by
the King County Bar Association, in
regular meeting assembled, that it is
the sense of the bar of King county
that said act is vicious and dangerous
legislation and ought to be repealed,
and that it be repealed by the special
session of the legislature
''Be it further resolved, that copies
of this resolution be furnished each
house of the legislature at the opening
Of the special session thereof, and
that copies hereof be sent to the press
of the state of Washington, with re-
quest for it's publication, and also a
copy to the secretary of each bar asso-
citation in the state
Mr.. Parmelee denounced the passage
of the condemned law and charged that
it was passed in the interests of certain
corporations who desired the supreme
court to serve them instead of the
people Edward Brady asked that the
resolution be stripped of criticism of the
legislature, which was calculated to
arouse enmity on the part Of the men,
beers and simply to ask that the law be
repealed. The motion to strike was
lost.
Christopher W. Horr said:
''The subject Of voting is something
everybody is interested in When the
enemies of the direct primary found
we we're to attempt some amendments
in the law at the last session, they
gave us notice that if we attempted
such thing they would repeal the
whole d-n primary law When their
amendment was proposed, thought
it had no chance of consideration.
When it passed I went to Olympia and
tried to have it reconsidered. could
make no impression on them; some
great power was behind the legislation
and the members we're immovable. "
Charles A. Reynolds made an appeal
for the passage of his resolution on the
employers liability law, and denounc-
ed several King county legislators.