The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-06-07

lof every man on the bench in hi,
state Frequently they are not rep
Iresentatiye Of even the average of the
bar The people look to the LAWYERS
to change the conditions which make
this possible.
The first thing to do IS to take the
nomination and. election of judicial of
heers out of the hands of politicians
The next thing to do is to put the
nomination into the hands of the law.
yers and the elections into the hands
Of the people.
We realize that such a plan cannot
/ be carried out in a day. In some states
constitutions may need changing In
other states laws may need changing
but the main thing is that the sys.
tenn needs changing and the LAWYERS
are the most potent forces to do the
work.
We would suggest that the State
Bar Association in each state appoint
a permanent committee sufficiently
large to have a representative from
each section but small enough to per-
nit of efficient work. 1t should be the
duty of the committee before each iud-
icial election to thoroughly canvass
the list of available men in each dis
trict and report the names of those
best qualified for the office.
This act of reporting such names
should be binding on the entire pro-
fession. After it the entire State Bar
Association should be regarded as
committing itself to the guarantee
that such men, if elected, would be
fully representative of the best law
yers in the district and state.
We believe the selections so made
should be the nominations and the
only nominations made. Enough names
could be certified to give the people
chance to pick. Such a plan would
bring the responsibility absolutely
home to the State Bar Association. In
this, however, we anticipate a protest
that this would deprive the people of
their right to nominate and while we
think the gain would be more than the
loss to the people, we can see how
the plan of nomination can be changed.
The names could be certified for the
primary election and appear on the
primary ballots. Other names could
be supplied through the filing of petit
tions so the people could have a choice
of their own, but those names should
not come from political conventions.
This would really simmer down in
time to accepting the choice of the
bar association for the people would
hardly care to nominate a man who
could not be indorsed by such a body.
The nominations are the essentials.
At the election the two highest names
could be voted on, but there should be
no lining up under party headings.
We believe that if the State Bar
associations should take up this plan
and deliver the goods" for one or
two elections its Endorsement would
speedily become considered equival-
ent to election. We believe that, being
entrusted with this duty and perceiv-
ing the eye of the people on them, the
members of State Bar associations
would discharge the duty with credit
to themselves and to the elevation of
the judiciary
Naturally this plan would call for
considerable amendment to existing
law. Judicial offices must first be
taken from the gift of political bosses
and the power of corporate interests.
That is the great menace now When
a judge owes his election to a boss or
a magnate, the debt must be paid and
the people suffer. If the only obliga-
ton he has is to justify the trust re-
posed in him by his fellow lawyers and
the people he cannot fall far short
Nevada State Journal