Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-10-17
Contemporary
Opinion
JUDGE A. A. Bruce.

lime there hae been published circl-
.ars and newspaper articles relating
to the judiciary, the purpcrt of which
5 that our courts, or many OF them,
are a~ntagonistic TO labor, and that
methods of judicial procedure are SC
complicated that il Is difficult for a
,oor man 10 get his rights In the
courts, and easy for a rich man to get
mere than his rights. These articles
nave been circulated by persons who
wish to reduce the vote for Judge
Brace to the .owest possible point,
and. O; possible. to elect another can
!idate to the supreme bench at this
coming election.
1t happens that a Judge Is brought
less closely into contact with the
masses of the people than most other
officials are, and his work is OF a char
acter which does not, except IN rare
cases. come to the direct attention OF
he public. The people, therefore,
aave not a good opportunity to be-
come acquainted with their judges,
% know what sort of men they are,
and wna, they stand fer. Because of
his il is comparatively easy to create
sentimen, against a judge if the work
is skiifuliy done and attacks are not
90 direct in their character. IL a
nan makes a persistent campaign on
he plea that the courts need to be
,etormed he is likely to get a good
many votes from people who are not
acquainted with the specific facts OF
Re situation. Most people will agree
hat there are many things about the
courts that heed 10 be reformed, and
many will conclude that the man who
s making the most noise about it is
he man to do the reforming, and that
his opponent must of necessity be
against the desired reforms.
The general sentiment of North Da-
kota is without question that in u
esislation and in the Interpretation
of the laws by the courts, the rights
of the labcring man should be prop
5riy protected, and that the procedure
Of the courts should be such that the
administration of justice to all, rich
nd poor, shall be furthered and not
delayed. To that end it is important
hat HI judges as wei! as our legisla-
CTS shall be in full sympathy with
he enlightened thought OF the day on
hese important subjects. The Herald
,rges that in considering the avaiia-
biIity of candidates for the supreme
bench these who are interested in
hese subjects-and all should feel an
interest in them-consider carefully
he record that has been made in con.
lection with them by Hon. A, A.
Bruce, enc of the present members OF
he state supreme court, and a candi-
late for reelection in November.
Take first the record which he has
made on labor questions. Prior to
his residence in North Dakota he was
A resident Of Illinois and Wisconsin.
n Illinois he drafted most of the la
Der code which is now on the statute
books of that state. He fought for
wo years. for the passage of the IL
!inois eight hour law. He framed most
+ the labor code of the state of Wis
Ionsin, and, with Lat'ollette and his
associates, he fought and fought hard
until that code was placed on the
statute books. In both states he
worked successfully fer the passage
Of child labor laws, factory inspec-
ion laws and other laws whose pur-
pose is to bring about better labor
conditions. Since coming to North
Dakota he has followed the same
course. He aided in the framing of
u own child labor law, in order that
ven before the factory system be-
came fully established in this state,
the rights Ct children to humane
treatment, to sanitary surroundings
and to a proper education might be
fully established and properly recog-
niZed.
In the matter of court procedure,
wherever and whenever Judge Bruce
has had opportunity to express him.
self he has taken a position strongly
and unequiyocally in facor of such
laws and such court rules as would
tend to simplify the administration. CT
Justice, to eliminate needless techni.
calities. and to make every public