The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-11-15
POLITICAL GOSSIP
And the judiciary Has Been
Made NOn.Partisan.
separate Ballot and No Party
for the Judges.
THREE TO Be ELECTED
Present Incumbents Reticent
About Candidates..
Many Kansas Lawyers Talked
of for the Bench.

With the enactment by the 1913 legfs-
lature OF the non-partisan judiciary
ballot. the contest to fill three vacancies
In the offices of associate justices ii
the supreme court will proba bly, be-
come one Of the most interesting con-
tests of the 1914 election. The terms OF
Associate Justices A. W. Benson. Car
A. Smith and Henry F. Mason expire in
January, 1915. None of these officials
have yet made definite announcement
OF their candidacy for reelection and
At least a half dozen we'll known KAN
sas lawyers are being urged for pro-
motion to the supreme bench.
The new election laws are a puzzle to
Kansas politicians. All semblance OF
party utilization is lost in the new nom
partisan judiciary ballot and the in
nocent voter is left entirely to his own
resources. Even the Massachusetts
ballot law is but little better. For
years the politicians had told the
voters to vote 'er straight and mere
1y make a cross mark in the circle un-
der the donkey, the rooster or soTe
other emblem OF party strength aid
purity But the Democrats have spoiled
all of that.
And the judiciary has been lifted 80
suddenly from political environment
that it doesn't know whether it likes
the change df>>u0t
OF course there has always been the
advocate Of the non-partisan judiciary.
And the Judiciary has shown its ap-
fetal dignity and the assertion that It
was folly to assume that the courts
could in any manner stoop to political
association. But on election day, the
voters forgot about the judiciary's in
dependence Of politics and the candi-
dates for the bench usually received
about the regular party vote.
Now the Democrats have provided
that the names of all candidates for
judgeship shall appear on a separate
ballot without reference to political at
filiation. And this sudden and sweep
ing change has occasioned unrest.
Lose Political Identification.
Next year three associate justices Of
the supreme court are to be elected
Probably two of the present associate
justices-Smith and Mason-will be
candidates for reelection. Perhaps
Judge Benson will also be candidate.
No one seems to know. The justices
won't talk about the matter at this
time.
But in seeking denomination, these
justices will be the choice of all the
voters to win place on the general
election ballot. For, under the new
law the six candidates receiving the
largest number OF votes, will be de-
clared the nominees for the three Of
fees to be filled and their names will
appear on the non-partisan judiciary
ballot in the general election.
At the November election the three
candidates receiving the highest num-
Der of votes will be elected. In the
primary six candidates will be nomi
mated, although the voter will be per-
mitted to vote for but three Of the
candidates seeking nomination. The
ballot on which the names of the can
didates will appear. will contain no
reference as to the political faith Of
the several candidates and the indi-
vidual voter must rely on his own ac-
Quaintance and familiarity with the
names of the candidates in making