Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-01-21
COMMUNICATION.
From Taxpayers Stand Point.


their tsx-paying constituents, and
if newspaper reports are true some
OF our Bonner county delegation at
the state capitol are now doing
some Of these strange things.
We are told that Senator Page
and others have introduced a bill
in the state Senate providing for
the division of the 9Th judicial dis
tricl, and creating the 9th judicial
district within the limits OF Bon
ner county, and further providing
for special election in said 9th
judicial district for the election
OF a Judge therein.
Section 6 of Article 4 of the con-
stitution of the state of Idaho,
amongst other things, provides If
the office of Justice of the Supreme
court or district court shall be va
Gated by death, resignation or
otherwise, it shall be the duty of
the governor to fill the same by
appointment" This section of the
constitution has not been amended
and stands today as it has always
stood, and was intended by its
trainers TO protect the people from
expensive and otherwise burden
some special elections.
There may be some reason for
creating a new judicial district but
the calling of special election to
elect a judge. whereby an expense
of $4,000 or $4,000 will he settled
on the tax payers of Bonner county
alone, is an outrage which the citi-
zens and tax payers of this county
should and will resent and resist
With all their might. Are we to
elect and pay trusted Legislators to
willfully impose such burdens up
on us, when the trainers of the
constitution wisely provided a
means to escape such an imposi-
ton?
Two years ago when the legisla-
ture was engaged in similar BUSH
ness it too, provided for a special
election to elect a judge, and some
of the members tried to justify
their action. on the fimsy grounds
that it is to give the people a
chance to have a say as to who shall
be their Judge, while others say il
was to relieve the governor from
the embarrassing portion of having
to select a Judge from among the
numerous candidates then clamoF-
ing for the position, for fear His
Excellency would incurr political
enmity and thus lessen his chance
for reelection, but, fortunately, the
Supreme court found that some OF
the provisions in the elective
feature of the bill were unconstitu,
tional and to that extent knock ed
it out, thus putting it up to the
governor to appoint, which. he did
reluctantly.
The former of these reason for an
election is not justi6able, as the
people are not willing to pay the
price for the privilege of electing 9
judge to officiate temporarily unit
the next general election, since the
constitution has provided q cheaper
and more expedicious manner o
filling the vacancy; and the latter
reason given tor calling the election
was doubtless. the true one, blu
who will say that it was not 4
! triding disregard for the peoples
interests, as we'll as a reflection OF
His Excellency's willingness anC
ability to exercise his constitu
; tional prerogatiye.
r Possibly our present solons will
, undertake to appsase the popular
: wrath of their constituents by ad
3 vancing similar arguments in de
tense of their outrageous actions
but let it be known to these serv
ants of the people that their con
stituents know a thing or TIVE
, themselves, they know that they
do not want the election, that tht
election is demanded only by 1
few office-seeking individuals anC
their friends who have a politica
pull and care nothing for the ta1
payers of Bonner county. Why
| then is the election wanted? Is i
: because they want TO relieve the
present chief executive from tn,
responsibility of appointing I
? judge; or is it want of confidence
in his judgment and ability t.
make the right kind of an appoint
ment; or Is it because they wan
! to deprive HIM of his constitutions
privilege; or is it because he is Z
) Democrat and might SO far for ge
himself and appoint Democrat tC
, the bench, or worse yet, that hi
} might elevate some unfaithful
backslidipg Republican, who hap
pens to have read Blackstone, tC
this tribunal.