Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-14
TkeBccsLcHcBox

WIN They repeat the Farces
SILVER CREEK, Neb., July Ito the
Editor Of The Bee: I wonder IL the demo-
Gratis will this year repeat The blooming
farce OF putting a nonpartisan judiciary
plank In their platform. Being a democrat
would prefer to wonder In a democratic
paper. but great democratic paper in
Nebraska that editorially admits that 1t
forms public opinion could not very we'll
admit to It's columns communication from
a democrat and would not, at least from
this democrat, in sharp criticism OF any OF
It's pet hobbies. Whether or not the present
editor Of The Bee is built that way, l do
not know. but l do know that his father
was not. / sometimes like to talk TO the
democrats, and | flatter myself there are
some democratic who like occasionally TO
hear my gentle bazzoo With your permits
sion | may be able to catch a few Of them
in the columns Of The Bee.
Under our present party system a nom
partisan judiciary Is an imposslblity; a
thing not to be desired, even II II we're
possible. What Is a nonpartisan Judge? Did
anybody ever see or hear Of one? No; nor
never will. VIII electing a democrat by
republican votes, or republican by dem
ocratic votes make him nonpartisan? Ger
tsinly not. No matter how a man may be
elected, he viii be Just as much a party
man, II he is an honest man, after he
was elected as before he was elected, and
would think less Of him II he were not.
The only way to get nonpsrtisan Judge
would be to elect a man that affiliated with
no party-a man who had no party politics
at all. But there is not a lawyer in the
whole state Of Nebraska who would fill
the bill. and IL there were, who would want
such nonentity7
But the nonpartisan judiciary plank in
the democratic platform was not put there
in good faith. 1t was put there in the hope
that it would help elect some democrats to
the supreme bench and for no other reason.
Then have done with the farce and the
fraud; let us hear no more OF Il. But IL
we do wish to resort to a trick, which we
! ought not to wish, let us be little more
smooth and try to turn one that will fool
| somebody.
AS a matter of fact that nonpartisan
judiciary plank in the democratic state
platform of 1909 was not properly adopted
by the convention and ought not to be
taken seriously by the democrats OF the
state II was put in the platform by a d.
vided resolutions committee in the hope,
as l have said, that II might help elect
some democrats to the supreme bench. Now
what are some of the facts as to that
plank? was a member of that convention
and was present at the time the resolutions
committee made its report, through it's
chairman. w, IL. Thompson OF Grand
Island. The convention had been waiting
nearly all the afternoon for the committee
TO report, and finally when it
came In probably two-thlrds OF the del
egates had already left the hall to catch
| outgoing trains and the others stood with
| their hats in their hands ready to 60,
while the report was being read. on the
J conclusion of the reading the chairman of
the convention, Mr.. Loomis of Fremont
Immediately submitted to vote a motion to
adopt, whcreupon Mr.. Ferguson OF Hart
ington, delegate and also q member OF
| the state committee, demanded TO be
heard in opposition to that nonpartisan
Judiciary plank. The delegates greeted
him with boots and howls and tried to
cry him down, but he was an old soldier.
stood his ground and finally forced them
TO hear him, after which the vote was
taken and the report OF the resolutions
committee declared adopted. should have
spoken in support Of Mr.. Ferguson, but
would not attempt to talk to that bowling
mob, After the convention had adjourned
In conversation with distinguished men,
Der Of the resolutions committee. Bishop
Sunbeams by name, l guyed him for put
ting that fool nonpartisan judiciary plank
in their report, saying it put US in a hole
and that our state committee in the face Of
that declaration could not consistently
make any campaign for the democratic
candidates. With a disgusted air he dis
| claimed any respousihility for IL and said
THAT was the work Of a statesman"
state conventions are not deliberative
assemblies, their deliverances, instead of
being Of any binding force are really en-
titled to very little consideration. The reso-
lutions committee is q cut-and dried affair
made up of q few alleged wheel horses.
They go out and mix a little medicine, or
more often. merely fiji the prescription of
| an over-boss, and the convention, which
| lie never permitted to diagnose the political
situation for itself, usually swallows the
dope at one gulp without even making a
wry face.
To say that we should have a nonpar-
tisan judiciary, is TO say that the judges
OF our courts cannot be relied on to give
impartial decisions where party interests
are affected. I do not subscribe to that
doctrine. l believe that our judges, with
very few exceptions. decide the cases before
them impartially according to the law and
the facts, without regard to extraneous
considerations of any sort whatever. and
that, so far as the administration Of jus
tice is concerned, It does not matter the
value OF a straw whether a Judge is a
democrat or a republican
CHARLES WOOSTER
1