Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-04
THE NON-PARTIsAN JUDICIARY

Q
Put Politics Out Of Court" is the
subject Of an editorial in the Chicago
Tribune OF Wednesday of this week,
which was reproduced in The Argus
Of Thursday. The Tribune's editorial
dwells favorably on the action of the
state bar association at its recent
meeting in Chicago in taking advance
ground in favor Of eliminating every
Judicial election absolutely from poll
Tics, even TO the extent OF having sepa-
rate ballots where such elections do
still occur, as in Cook county. the same
day' In certain instances, as the gen
eraI election. Down the state, the ju-
dtcial elections are held at an entirely
Inherent time of year from the gen
eral elections, in accordance with the
spirit of the constitution of the state
which specifically provides that in so
Tar as 1t Is possible to make 1t the
elections for judges of the court shall
be removed entirely from the in.
huences of politics. They are now
held in the down state districts in
Illinois and in all the supreme court
elections in the state, not only at a
different time of the year from the
general election but on a distinctly
different day of the week, Monday,
whereas Tuesday is the generally &C.
cepted day for general elections, the
object obviously being to divorce the
public mind from the idea that the
elections for judges have anything to
do with politics.
Ii was in conformity with this same
IDEA, that the Springfield Journal. at a
time when it was conceded in republi.
can circles in the state capital that the
party would not undertake a fight on
/ the reelection of Justice George A.
Cooke in the fourth supreme court dis
| trlct came out fatty for Cookies re-
turn in the interest OF non-partisan
fairness, and the Springfield Journal
Is acknowledged to be one of the
strongest republican papers in the
whole wide state of Illinois.
II was in keeping with this same
eminently just and broadminded dis
position that the Chicago Record-Her.
aid, even after mysterious influences
had brought out republican opposition
70 Cooke, made positive declaration for
Cookies reelection. It was in harmony
with precisely the same idea
that the Peoria Herald-Transcript
and the Quincy Wing. both recognized
republican papers, the latter one Of the
Oldest in the state, declared them.
selves in support of Cooke on the com.
mon ground of nonpartisan fairness
and for the principle set forth in the
constitution OF the state.
In view of the fact that Cooke is
one OF the two judges, democratic in
politics, now holding seats on the su
preme bench OF the state, in q
court of seven, and that he Is running
to succeed himself after having been
elected TO I'LL out the unexpired term
Of Justice Guy Scott, deceased, also a
democrat, there is no warrant that
can be forced upon fairminded people
why he should be retired in favor OF a
judge already serving in the circuit
court and who is persistently holding
on TO one job while reaching out for
another and all on the theory that he
is a republican, and should therefore
command republican votes.
AS has been repeatedly said both
by Justice Cooke and by those who have
spoken for him, there is no purpose or
desire 10 speak in disrespect Of
Judge Cookies opponent, either as a
jurist or as a man, but there is a prin.
cipie involved in this election mora
far reaching than the considerations
either of politics or friendship. 1t is
principle that means the holding OF
the courts in a class apart from
political prejudices or political
bias. II is principle written into the
constitution Of Illinois, and it is q