The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-11-04
THE NON-PARTISAN JUDICIARY
MOVEMENT.

SEATTLE, Nov. 4,-Believers in the
Non. Partisan Judiciary cause are urged
to vote for the five non-partsan candi-
dates, otherwise the effect of the move
ment will be entirely lost. If the Ia
coma convention crowd and the attor
neys for the corporations can elect one
of the "hand- picked" candidates, they
will have a majority of the bench. The
supreme court will then be as it has in
the past, corporation court, made up
of politicians and not of judges.
There are nine members on the SUI
preme bench and five candidates to be
elected on November 8. The election
of four non-partisan candidates and one
hand picked" candidate will leave the
court with five candidates who owe
their allegiance to the interests which
control conventions and not to the peo-
pie.
p. NJ. Troy, non partisan judiciary
candidate has been forced by menda-
oious opponents into the position of
denying that he had anything to do
with the bill which removed the nomi-
nation of supreme court judges from
the direct primary law. This charge
emanated from the state law library
in Olympia, presided over by G. Will
Shaffer, the author of the infamous
bill. The charge was made simply for
the purpose of putting Mr.. Troy on the
defensive, for as a matter of provable
fact he had no more to do with Shat
fer's bill than did the Gar of Russia
Shaffer and the corporation attorneys
who are fighting the non partisan
movement consider it good politics"
to put a man on the defensive and to
this end they have no hesitancy in
making absurd accusations and have
less difficulty in finding newspapers
to print them.
Mr.. Troy is vice president of the
Direct Legislation League for Thurston
county, which position he could not
hold for minute had he had anything
to do with Shaffer and his bill.
The whole business is Just another
indication of how badly the corporation
interests want the ''hand- picked" candi-
dates reelected.
Although two weeks have passed
since the "hand picked candidates for
the supreme court were asked whether
they were willing to resign before the
election of 1912, no reply has been re-
ceived
The only possible conclusion to be
drawn from the silence is that these
candidates have no intention of sub
mitttng their nomination to the people
in 1912. Yet they lack the courage
to state their position Hence their
failure to reply.
The non partisan candidates for the
supreme bench are each of them pledged
to resign before the election of 1912,
if the nomination of supreme court
Judges is restored to the direct primary
at the coming session of the legisla
ture. By electing the non partisan can
didates the people will have the oppor
tunity of nominating the candidates
two years hence. If the convention"
candidates are elected, no matter if the
nominations are restored to the direct
primary, the people will have nothing
to say as to the membership of the
supreme court for six years to come.
Secretary Wilson of the Non-Parti
san Judiciary League wrote to each of
the five Conventions" candidates eX
planning the pledges taken by the Non
Partisan candidates and invited the
Convention candidates to take like
pledge. Not word was received in
reply.
The corporations which controlled the
court in the past are determined to con-
troll it for six years to come, no mat
ter what happens to the direct pri
mary law, and the candidates who are