The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-08-22
Judge Burke and That
Domoeratie Endorssnsnt

session at Fort Morgan endorsed Judge
H. P. Burke for reelection, and by
resolution duly passed pledged that
party in this. district to his support.
Some Of the delegates who had opposed
the action and were out voted went
out of the convention and talked of
holding little one of their own. Lat
er they Abandoned this idea and con-
cluded to try to name man by petit
tion, 1t is understood that such Pc
tition has been filed.
Reports of this affair from Akron
and Fort Morgan to two of the Denver
papers of ''jobhed" convention, rul-
ed by what they call 1.-THE Speer- Evans
crowd" and add that Burke, "a friend
of Evans and Shattuck," was endorsed
by this plan which was promoted in
Denver. Nothing could be fnrther
from the truth; and il the men who
sent these reports, and their motives,
We're made known, no further comment
would be necessary. Here are the
facts:
During Judge Burke's official life
he has kept so quiet as to politics in
general that even his political opinions
are little known, and as a candidate
for judicial office they are of of little
moment. He is in fact one of the
most liberal and progressive OF the re-
gular Republicans of the state. He
leaned strongly toward Roosevelt be-
fore the Chicago convention. He op-
posed the Taft resolutions of the state
committee. He has been all his life
opposed to Denver corporations in
politics. He opposed their represen-
tatives going to the Chicago conven-
tion. He did not know Judge Shat
tuck priof 70 his elsc u6ii, has met him
only few times since. and has moth
ing but speaking acquaintance with
him Judge Burke has not even a
speaking acquaintance with William
G. Evans, A. M. Stevenson, William
G. Smith Robert w. Speer, James
Williams or any of Denver corporation
crowd.
Now as to that Democratic conven-
ton: If some sort of job was set up,
it would of course have been gone
about quietly. Instead of this Judge
Burke's endorsement has been quite
generally advanced by many Demo-
crats throughout the district for the
past two or three years. Since the
first of the present year all but three
of the Democratic newspapers of the
district have repeatedly and strongly
advocated it, and not single one of
them has spoken against it. The job,
therefore, was on the other side. A
few men knew if they fought this en-
dorsement openly they would be de-
feated. Some petty politicians, dis
gruntled lawyer or two and some men
who were sore about the loss of. law
suits which they ought to have lost,
quietly wriggled themselves on to some
Of these delegations. Teen they be-
gan business. They managed to con.
vince few good men that the party
must put up somebody for the sake of
party regularity, even if no one voted
for such candidate. In the convention
the wntchward of these men was SIM
ply anybody to fill the ticket, Sup
porting the endorsement of Judge Burke
were the leading Democratic lawyers
of the district and the editors or repre-
sentatives of four Democratic newspa-
pers and moreover most of these men
were pronounced progressive Democrats
The vote on endorsement stood thirty
one for, to twenty lone against, the res
olution thus carrying by a two thirds
majority. The minority objected and
rebeled-the tail insisted on wagging
the dog. Their only complaint now it
that they were not allowed to vote ''as
provided by the primary law" The law
does not so provide. 1t provides that
assemblies shall be held under party
rules. Every porty in the world re-
serves the right by majority vote to
decide whether it will or will not act.
True, if vote had been taken every
man receiving ten per cent of that
vote would have been entitled to
place on the ticket. But certainly, in
the absence of an express law, land
there is no such law one. third of the
convention has no right to run the
other two-t thirds and compel them to
fill the ticket, whether they wish to or
not. But of course when. after six
years service in so important an of.
flee, man has made so good record