The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-10-07
APPEAL TO
THE PEOPLE
Will You Vote For Nomi-
nees of the Hand Picked
Republican Convention
or Turn Them Down?

We. the representatives of the Non
Partisan Judiciary League of Washing
ton, make this appeal TO the people of
this stater
The surest safeguards of republican
institutions are courts composed of
Judges who derive their authority from
the people, who are unswayed by party
prejudice, and who, free from the in
fluence of privilege, do not subordinate
the rights of tha many to the exac,ions
of the few. To secure such Judges
there devolves upon every citizen an
obligation of such weight and solemnity
that it dwarfs all other considerations.
The rights and property of all classes
rest in the end on the impartiality and
ability of the men who compose our
courts. 1t is the plain duty of every
voter to work for the election of men
who will hest discharge that trust; and
in the choice of such men every voter
should have a direct and unfetterel
part.
Our primary law, as originally en-
acted, gave to the people tuIl participa-
tion in the selection of members of the
supreme court, free from the interfer-
encc of conventions dominated by sell
fish interests. We pledge ourselves to
use all honorable means to secure the
repeal of the act of 1909 which took
the nomination of supreme judges from
the people and returned it to the con
vention system; and in its stead to la-
Dor for the enactment of a law for the
nomination and election of supreme
judges in the same manner as that in
which superior Judges are now nomina-
ted and elected.
The law of 1909 which returned the
nomination of supreme Judges to parti-
san conventions was enacted at the in
stigaton of special interests by leg
islature pledged to support the peoples
choice, through the primary, of all state
Officers A breach of trust for which
there exists no excuse, it was also a
preliminary assault on the direct pri
mary system conceived and executed by
men determined to wipe from the stat.
ute books the best means thus far de
vised for giving expression to the popu-
lar will
While taking measures to avert this
danger when the legislature meets, the
people of the state should also have
the opportunity at the coming election
to express their disapproval of the
methods and results of the state con
vention held at Tacoma on August 3rd,
1910, The nominees of that conven-
ton. if elected, will constitute ma
iority of the supreme court and carry
control of that body for a long term of
years. The larger number of the dele
gates to the convention were chosen in
an arbitrary and illegal manner, and
without giving the people of the state
even the semblance of voice in their
selection. 1t was not a Republican con-
vention in any true sense of that term.
1t carried out the program of the in
terests in control and, in the face o.
determined opposition, the five Repub-
lican Judges whose terms were expiring
we're renominated, thus accomplishing
one of the most shameless pieces of po
litical jobbery ever perpetrated in this
state.
There is but one way in which the
people can at this time express their
disapproval of the work of that con-
vention. We choose that way, and dis
regarding party affiliations, we recon-
mend the nomination by this conference
of five candidates for the supreme
court, selected with sole regard for
their knowledge of the law and their
courage to discharge with integrity and
impartial Justice the duties of that
body.
We regret that the impairment of the
Urinary law by she last legislature
compels us to hold this conference in
order to voice popular discomfort with
that impairment and with the work of
the Tacoma convention. In placing be
fore the electorate the names of the
men whom this conference may select.
we act as we believe the voters would
act if they had not been robbed of the
opportunity. If that opportunity is
restored to them by the next hgisla-
ture, we pledge the candidates nomi-
mated here today to tender their resig-
nations before the primary election "t
1912 and submit the question of their
denomination and reelection to the
voters of the state.
The fight on which we are entering
is not against individuals, but against
the system under which special inter
ests have dictated the selection of, and
L. Aa