Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-10-30
people striving for the best that there
is within us.
Yucu STANDARO REOTTRED

| Is WlIHIu us
HIGH STANDARD REQUIRED
1T is the duty, then, of the COM
munity, as well as of the individuals
thereof, to keep the judicial integrity
of our courts at the highest standard:
| And by the phrase judicial integrity
| | mean not that integrity which at
taches to the individual and which
serves merely to mark him as an
honest and conscientious man, but 1
mean that judicial integrity which
attaches to the judgments of our
courts and serves to mark those Judg-
ments as being impartial and just. To
secure and retain that confidence in
and for our courts that is necessary
we should endeavOr so to constitute
and maintain them as that they shall
be. in so far as human imperfections
will permit, above criticism, above as
sault, above reprOach and above sus-
picion. To be the most potent factors
in preserving the peace, harmony and
well being of society, courts, like
Caesars wife, must be not only free
from actual faint, but also free from
the least suspicion thereof.
1T is automatic that judges are but
| human. Possessed, as they are of hu-
man hopes, aspirations, ambitions and
| imperfections, their judgments have in
! them along with the strength of hu-
man intellect, the weakness of human
nature. The passions of mankind, seen
| and found, and to be encouraged, II
YOU will. in the Individual are not
eradicated by his elevation to the
bench They are at most merely
moderate. Anything, therefore, which
tends in the ordinary processes. OF
nature to cause the individual elevated
to the bench to be more and more
moved and guided by considerations OF
abstract justice rather than by popu-
lar clamor, personal interest or that
most vicious of all agents, insidious
influence materially and effectually
contributes to raise not only the stand
ard of the judiciary and of its judg-
ments. but also that which is of pre-
potent Importance, namely, the degree
of appreciation entertained for both of
these by the great body of the COM
munity.
PARTIES NECESSARY
political parties are, have been,
and, in my own judgment, always Will
be- a necessary, proper and useful ad-
iunct and incident to the maintenance
of a government of the people, for the
people and by the people. Just as it
is true that the people are the great
source and repository of the political
power of the nation, so it is equally
true that the best and most adequate
means yet devised for the effective
exercise of that power is through the
media of political parties. The func-
tions of such parties, however, are
best performed when they are confined
to the putting into operation through
the ordinary channels, of certain, def
mite and detailed governmental poll
cies Such policies the courts are
called upOn neither to initiate nor to
effectuate. Their power and authority
with reference to them is merely that
of requiring and demanding that what
ever Is attempted or contaminated
shall be done in accordance with law
| which means not merely in accordanc
with the expressed will of the people,
but in accordance with the expressed
| will of the people subject to Consti-
tutiOnal forms and requirements, But,
as it is true that as between contend
ing factions or cOntending political
parties common justice shall prevail,
SO is il also true that with regard to
all such political policies the courts
called upon to review them should, as
| between the respective political parties
and the general community, maintain
an Immortality as strict i'm its nature
as it is unsullied i'm its origin. This
can best be brought about by having
| Judges indicted into office not because
of their political affiliations, but be
cause, ana OlllN Dt' aust OIL lllelI Ill
hcrent fitness and ability to perform
tho high and responsible duties incum-
bent upon them.
DOMINATION OF JUDGES
1T does not follow, of course, that
because an individual is connected
with and avoWs his allegiance for a
given political party that he is to be
considered as being subject to the
domination and control of such pOlit-
ical party; but it does follow, and fol-
| lows because of the inherent weakness
Of human beings of whom judges are
constituted, that a judge chosen to sit
in judgment because of his connection
with and responsibility to a given po-
litical party is thereby rendered the
more apt to be influenced, if not con
| trOlled, consciously or uncOnsciously.
in his decisions in virtue Of such DO
litical connection on his part. If we
adopt the slogan and the principle that
there shall be no politics i'm the cleo
ton of the judiciary we viii then be
able to assert with some degree of
conclusiveness that there is no poll
ties in the decisions of the Judiciary.
Guided by such considerations it win.
1 submit, be found best to conduce to
the general happiness and the improve
ment and progress Of the race Of which
Webster so eloquently spoke, to keep
politics in politics, to keep the judi