The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1910-10-28
NON PARTISAN JUDICIARY
Why the Movement Deserves the Support
of Every Lover of Liberty With
out Regard to Party

In presenting the names of five men
as candidates for the supreme court
the Non-Partisan Judiciary League is
upholding a principle-the principle Of
the direct primary law. The sole pur-
pose Of the league in calling a conven-
ton and nominating candidates for the
supreme bench was to restore these
nominations TO the people. The league
has no other aim nor has it any other
reason for existence. Once this IS ac-
comphshed il will automatically dis
band. In no other way, save by the
election Of the five men nominated by
the Non. Partisan Judiciary Leauge, can
the people Of the state recover the
right that was wrested from them by
the legislature Of 1909.
The legislature which meets in 1911
may or may not repeal the amending
act OF 1909. That remains to be seen.
But if the candidates who were nom
mated by the hand-picked republican
convention are elected il will make no
difference whether the amending act is
repealed or not The men for whom
the act was passed will be elected to
hold their Office for the next six years.
The repeal Of the 1909 amending act
will be practically imperative for that
period. If on the other hand the can
didates nominated by the Non-Partisan
Judiciary League and approved by the
democratic state convention are elect
ed, the people will two years hence
have an opportunity to nominate and
elect five men for the supreme bench.
Each OF the five non-partisan condi-
dates has pledged himself to place his
resignation in the hands of the COVER
nor before the next general election.
These designations will make five va
cancies to be filed, and the election Of
the non-partisan candidates this fall will
carry with it the repeal of the amend
ing act. The net result will be null
lifcation of the legislative jobbe1y of
1909; the supreme court will be ans
werable to the people instead Of to the
special interests and those who seek to
curtail the peoples rights to the en-
largement of corporation powers will
have learned the folly of attacking the
direct primary.
The candidates presented to the peo-
pie by the non-partisan judiciary
league are non-partisan in the strict
sense OF the word. They, as all patri-
otic citizens, irrespective of party affil-
iations, believe in the theory and prac-
tice of a non-partisan judiciary nomi-
mated and elected by the people.
Their acceptance by the democratic
state convention was due to the fact
that this convention represented the
will of the democrats Of the state,
whereas the republican state conven-
ton was not representative Of the will
of the republicans Of the state, but OF
certain designing interests anxious to
keep certain individuals on the su-
preme bench. The democrats of the
state have simply joined forces with the
republicans Of the state to defeat the
scheme of the state machine which i'm
properly styles itself republican.
Out OF this union grew the non-par-
tisan judiciary league. The events
which led up to the formation Of the
league had their beginnings two years
ago when the Root-Gordon scandal
shocked the citizens OF Washington.
The details Of that shameful affair are
still reasonably fresh in the public
mind. The disclosures which followed
the Gordon shortage showing that su-
preme court decisions were written by
Great Northern lawyers aroused feel
ing of distrust that was state wide.
Public confidence in the supreme court
was shaken, and circumstances which
before had been merely inexplicable
took on a sinister suggestion.
When the Legislature met in January,
1909, it was evident TO those who
watch closely matters relating to the
supreme court that something would
have to be done TO prepare for the
election Of 1910, when five places were
to be filed. Under the direct primary
law, as it stood in 1909, the voters Of