The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-09-02

at all times wholly impartial end an
] preiudiCej.
it was never intended rg ESQ -r,n
. ers OF OUT form of c'ylra..Er. ..'
the sclectior oft those WHO are o. "a
upon the ri-h-s OF t.r.r fellow yi
whether in thc co.re o n irs .e
or tn the tribunals .. last g. e-..
F should DE r.cDcu lu t.e lr u d
small number oi men. vhc.Tcr thr"
may be nor how great 81 power.
nor that those hiEn oi3CgS should De
I the spOllS C- the politics or the ~.-
wards OF partisan services. such q Sc.
lection would De ahhorreut to ever.
good citizen. and We may well belie.'
that Fennsylvania Viii never delib-.
ately consent that the ermine OF her
highest judiciary shall come TO the
bench Of that great tribunal smirchei
with the miro of the lowest form o.
political paruSanShip. or labeled with
the proprietary mark Of any clique Cr
faction should the hour ever come
when seats upon the appellate beucn
of our Commonwealth--ths last bar
rier against anarchy and civic destrc.
uon-shall in any degree be held us
those who have been selecld Other
wise than by the will Of tue people
first expressed In their preliwiu ry
conventions and finally by their hos
estly taken and counted ballots N the
polls. the day will have dawned when
civil righteousness and liberty shall
cease and wickedness and injustiC b
shall direct our destinies.
The Issue Before the People.
Until lN91 the selection OF the lUdlo-
larry Of our commonwealth was COulG-
ed within the Gppointive power Of the
governor. but always and only by and
with the advice and consent Of ma.
jOrity Of the members OF the stat
senate. a body chosen by the votes ot
electors. anSwcrable directly 10 then
and in every sense. therefore, the re BE-
res5utatiNes Of the people Of Penn
sylVaDil- In that year and by 1.a
adoption of the amended constitU.oa
this system was abolished. solely b b.
cause the citizens of our common
wealth demanded that all those who
were 70 sit liz Judgment upon the.
rights of life. liberty and property
should be chosen directly by them
our ClmDoUW eoth demanded ina.
they alone should be vested with tbs
power. purpos.nE thereby TO proteg-
thouS selves from the great WIOr
which Uicht be done them II the see
lection oi their judges should remain
with one man. even though he m!Eh
be tbs one they had elected as their
chief executive and his choice reuuil-
Ell the approval Of a responsible Les Sc
latiVe body. Not for one moment did
the voters for the constitution
amendment Of 1850 believe that by is
approval they had enabled that choice
to he wreSted from them by any body
of men. however important they mis- {
be. who We're not chosen dire city by
them and voiced their will; much less
could they have conceived that the
time might come in Pennsylvania
when small number and not clothed
with any power directly from the peo-
l. ,s-.,V1 1as@
obtain such control Of any party, that
by or through any political machinery
they could name any one OF the mem
bers OF a court having the power 10
pass in final judgment upon the right
of all the citizens Of this common
wealth TO their lives. their liberty.
their honor and their property. II that
condition has now been brought about
we may well say that there is an is
sue before the people of Pennsylvania
more important than any they have
ever met and We may rest assured
will be determined by them with no
uncertain voice and for the full pro
lection of their rights, 10 the end that
this shall be government by the peo-
pie under the law.
He who may receive the favor OF the
majority of the suffTaGeS OF our pe1-
pie on November second next by an
election as a justice OF the supreme
court OF Pennsylvania will be endow.
ed by them for twenty-one years with
superlative power over all that con-
Germs every citizens welfare and hap
piness. The importance of the posi-
tion. the awful sponsibility which
will rest upon him and the necessity
for his purity OF life and honesty Of
action must weigh upon his soul with
thoughts 10 make him tremble. ! ac-
cept your nomination 10 this great
once only with the honest desire and
firm intent 10 serve the people hon
estly faithfully and impartially should
they in their wisdom make me their
choice al the polls Will fairly and
and If successful will assume the du-
ties or the office unbiased by any ohli-
cations trusting always 20 be Diy.nely
guided in the right way. the path OF
rec1itude. OF impartial justice and full
integrity.